184 COMPOSITE. (COMPOSITE FAMILY.) 



2. EL.EPHANTOPUS, L. ELEPHANT'S-FOOT. 



Heads 3 - 5-flowcred, clustered into a compound head : flowers perfect. Invo- 

 lucre narrow, flattened, of 8 oblong dry scales. Achenia manv-ribbed. Pappus 

 of stout bristles, chaffy-dilated at the base. Perennials, with alternate leaves 

 qnd purplish flowers. (Name composed of eXe^as-, elephant, and TroCs, foot.) 



1. E. CarolilliailllS, Willd. Somewhat hairy, corymbose, leafy; 

 leaves ovate-oblong, thin. Dry soil, Pennsylvania and southward. 



3. SCL.EROL.EPIS, Cass. SCLEROLEFIS. 



Head many-flowered : flowers perfect. Scales of the involucre linear, equal, 

 in 1-2 rows. Corolla 5-toothed. Achenia 5-angled. Pappus a single row of 

 almost horny oval and obtuse scales. A smooth aquatic perennial, with simple 

 stems, rooting at the base, bearing linear entire leaves in whorls of 5 or 6, and 

 terminated by a head of flesh-colored flowers. (Name from aK\Tjpos, hard, arid 

 \jris, a scale, alluding to the pappus.) 



1. S. verticillata, Cass. Pine barrens, New Jersey and southward. 

 Aug. 



4. LiIATRIS, Schreb. BUTTON SNAKEIIOOT. BLAZING-STAR. 



Head several - many-flowered : flowers perfect. Scales of the involucre, im- 

 bricated, appressed. Receptacle naked. Corolla 5-lobed. Achenia slender, 

 tapering to the base, about 10-ribbed. Pappus of 15-40 capillary bristles, 

 which are manifestly plumose, or only barbellate. Perennial herbs, often 

 resinous-dotted, with rigid alternate entire leaves, and heads of handsome rose- 

 purple flowers, spicate, racemose, or panicled-cymose, appearing late in summer 

 or in autumn. (Derivation of the name unknown.) 



$ 1. Stem usually wand-like and simple, from a globular or roundish corm or tuber 

 (which is impregnated with resinous matter), very leafy: leaves narrow or tjrass-like, 

 1-5-nerved: heads spicate or racemed: involucre ivdl imbricated: lobes of the 

 corolla long and slender. 



* Pappus very plumose ; scales of the 5-flowered involucre irith urata or htuctolale 



spreading petal-like (purple or sometimes white] tips, c.rctc-diiiij fh<- jlin:rs. 



1. E. elcgailS, Willd. Stem (3 -5 high) and involucre hairy; leaves 

 short and spreading; spike or raceme compact (1 long). Ban-en soil, Vir- 

 ginia and southward. 



* * Pappus very plumose : scales of the cylindrical many-flowered involucre imbri- 



cated in many rows, the tips rigid, not petal-like: corolla hair// within. 



2. Ij. squarrosa, Willd. (BLAZING-STAR, &c.) Often hairy (l-3 

 high) ; leaves linear, elongated ; heads few (!' long) ; scales of the involucre mostly 

 with elongated and leaf-like, spreading tips. Dry soil, Pennsylvania to Illinois 

 and southward. 



3. L.. cylilldrstcea, Michx. Commonly smooth (6' -18' high) ; leaves 

 linear; k<*uls few ('-' long) ; scales of the inrolncrc all with short ami n>nml,d 

 upprcssedlips. Dry open places, Niagara Palls to Wisconsin, and south west ward. 



