HELIANTHUS SUNFLOWER. 



An annual branching herb, 1 to 3 feet high, hairy or roughish-pubes- 

 cent. Leaves bipinnatifid, the uppermost simply pinnatifid, smoothish or 

 glabrous above, paler or whitish beneath. 



Habitat. In waste places everywhere ; a most pestiferous weed. 



Parts Used. The leaves and tops not official. 



Constituents. Both species have a disagreeable odor and an aromatic 

 bitter taste. The leaves of A. triftda are readily eaten by some of the do- 

 mestic animals, but the other species appears to be too disagreeable. Their 

 constituents have not been ascertained. 



Preparations. They are commonly used in decoction. 



Medical Properties and Uses. These plants are said to be stimulant, 

 tonic, and astringent. A decoction has been used, chiefly in domestic prac- 

 tice, as a topical astringent in chronic catarrhal affections. 



Of late years A. artemisiaefolia has attracted considerable attention on 

 account of its real or assumed agency in the production of hay-fever. The 

 plant produces pollen in great abundance, which is extremely irritating to 

 the air-passages of many people, and is capable of exciting asthmatic at- 

 tacks in susceptible persons. Now as the weed is so very abundant, and 

 its time of flowering coincident with the greatest development of hay-fever, 

 the relation of cause and effect has been asserted by many writers. That 

 it may be so in a certain proportion of cases is quite probable, but that its 

 influence in this direction has been overrated is still more probable. The 

 pollen of all plants is irritating to the air-passages of sensitive people, but 

 probably little more so than any other dust of an organic character ; and 

 the proportion which rag-weed pollen in the air of any specified locality 

 bears to that of all other plants combined must be very small indeed. 

 Much less still must its proportion be to other pollen and organic dust 

 in the air of cities, where this affection has become endemic and fashion- 

 able. 



HELIANTHUS. SUNFLOWER. 



Helianthus an nuns Linne. Common Sunflower. 



Description. Heads large, many-flowered, radiate ; the rays numerous, 

 neutral, yellow ; the disk-flowers brownish, perfect. Scales of the invo- 

 lucre with foliaceous tips, imbricated in 3 or more series. Receptacle 

 broad and flat, with persistent chaff which embraces the 4-angled, flattened 

 achenia. Pappus very deciduous, of 2 chaffy scales on the principal 

 angles of the achenium, often with two or more smaller intermediate ones. 



A tall rough annual herb, in common cultivation. Leaves alternate, 

 triple-ribbed, ovate, or the lower cordate. 



Habitat. The sunflower is a native of tropical America, but has long 

 been cultivated here and is sparingly naturalized in waste places. 



Many of the indigenous species of heliantlms are but little less strik- 

 ing than this in appearance, and possess similar properties. 



