202 COMPOSITE. (COMPOSITE FAMILY.) 



merous, crowded in compact erect-spreading short racemes, forming a prolonged and 

 dense narrow or pyramidal panicle ; scales of the involucre linear-awl-shaped, ap- 

 pressed ; rays about 10. Sandy soil, Maine to Virginia and southward, near 

 the coast. 



7. S. strict:!, Ait. Vei-y smooth throughout; stem simple, strict (2 -3 

 high) ; leaves lanceolate, pointed, the lower tapering gradually into winged peti- 

 oles, partly sheathing at the hase, minutely serrate above with appressed tcvth ; 

 run nics much crowded and appressed in a dense wand-Wee panicle ; scales of tho 

 involucre linear-oblong, obtuse; rays 5-6, small. Peat-bogs, Maine to Wis- 

 consin and northward. Root-leaves 6'- 10' long. It flowers earlier than its 

 allies, beginning in July. 



-i- <- Heads rather large, at least for the size of the plant. 



8. S. Spcciosa, Nutt. Stem stout (3 -6 high), smooth; leaves thickish, 

 smooth with rough margins, oval or ovate, slightly serrate, the uppermost oblong- 

 lanceolate, the lower contracted into a margined petiole ; heads somewhat 

 crowded in numerous erect racemes, forming an ample pyramidal or tht/rsiform pan- 

 icle; peduncles and pedicels rough-hairy ; scales of the cylindrical involucre 

 oblong, obtuse; rays about 5, large. Var. ANGUSTATA is a dwarf form, with 

 the racemes short and clustered, forming a dense interrupted or compound 

 spike. Copses, Massachusetts to Wisconsin and southward. A very hand- 

 some species ; the lower leaves 4' -6' long and 2' -4' Avide in the larger forms. 



9. S. Vil'ga-aiirea, L. Pubescent or nearly glabrous ; stem low (6 ; - 18' 

 high) and simple ; leaves lanceolate or oblanceolatc, or the lowest spatulate or elliptical' 

 obovate and petioled, serrate with small appressed teeth or nearly entire ; racemes 

 thyrsoid or simple, narrow ; scales of the involucre lanceolate or linear, acute ; 

 rays 8-12. An extremely variable species in the Old World and in our north- 

 ern regions. (Eu.) 



Var. alpina, Bigcl. Dwarf (l'-8' high), with few (1-12) pretty large 

 heads (3" - 4" long, becoming smaller as they increase in number) ; leaves 

 thickish, mostly smooth ; scales of the involucre lanceolate, acute or acutish ; 

 rays about 12. Alpine region of the mountains of Maine, New Hampshire, 

 and New York ; and shore of Lake Superior. 



Var. Iifmsilis. Low (6'- 12' high) and smooth, bearing several or nu- 

 merous loosely thyrsoid smaller heads, which, with the peduncles, &c., are 

 mostly somewhat glutinous ; scales of the involucre obtuse ; rays 6-8, short ; 

 leaves varying from narrowly lanceolate and nearly entire to oblanceolate and 

 serrate. (S. humilis, Pursh, Torr. fy Gr.) Rocky banks, W. Vermont, Lakes 

 Huron and Superior, and northward. At the base of the White Mountains of 

 New Hampshire, on gravelly banks of streams, occurs a form, with the mi- 

 nutely pubescent stout stem l-2 high, the leaves larger and broader, and 

 the heads very numerous in an ample compound raceme ; the rays occasionally 

 almost white. 



10. S. tliyrsoidea, E. Meyer. Stem stout (l-4high), wand-like, pu- 

 bescent near the summit, simple ; leaves thin, ovate, irregularly and coarsely ser- 

 rate with sharp Kiilimt f frill, large (l'-4' long), all but the uppermost abruptly 

 contracted into lo/i'/ and margined petiole* luads luryc (.V -6" long), many- 



