A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



77 



This is the largest family of flowering plants, consist- 

 ing of more than 800 genera and 10,000 to 12,000 species, 

 distributed over all parts of the earth, each tribe usually 

 having a definite center of distribution. The largest 

 genera are: Senecio, 1,200 species; Centaurea, 470; 

 Vernonia, 450; Hieracium, 400; Helichrysum, 300; 

 Baccharis, 275; Cousinia, 210; Artemisia, 200; Cre- 

 pis, 170; Erigeron, 150; Chrysanthemum, 140; Saus- 

 surea, 125; Gnaphalium, 120; Circium, 120; Scorzon- 

 era, 100; Anthemis, 100. The Compositse, taken in 

 the broad sense, is a well-defined family not closely 

 related to any other large families. Its affinities are 

 with the Campanulacea?, Dipsacacex, and Valeri- 

 anacese. In general, the involucrate heads, epigy- 

 nous gamopetalous flowers, syngenesious stamens, 

 1-seeded dry fruits and exalbuminous seeds are dis- 

 tinctive. In some genera the heads have no ray 

 flowers (discoid), in others they have a marginal 

 row, and in still others all the flowers are ligulate. 

 Except in the last case, the ray flowers are without 

 stamens, and frequently without a pistil (neutral). 

 The style-branches are very diverse, and are im- 

 portant in the characterization of tribes. They are 

 often provided with sweeping hairs which push the 

 pollen from the introrse anthers up out of the 

 anther tube as the style elongates. The anthers are 

 caudate in two tribes, and in some genera the fila- 

 ments contract abruptly when stimulated by touch. 

 In Ambrosia and Xanthium, the anthers are sepa- 

 rate, and the bracts of the 1-2-flowered pistillate 

 involucre are fused, woody, indehiscent, and covered 

 with spines or hooks. 



The family is divided by Hoffman into 13 tribes, 

 several of which are by some authors considered sepa- 

 rate families. 



Sub-family I. Disk flowers not ligulate; no milky 

 sap. Consists of twelve tribes, separated on a basis of 

 style-branches, anther-tails, chaff on the receptacle, 

 and so on, as follows: Iron weed Tribe, Boneset T.. 

 Aster T., Elecampane T., Sunflower T., Sneezeweed 

 T., Chamomile T., Senecio T., Pot Marigold T., 

 Arctotis T., Thistle T., Mutisia T. 



Sub-family II. All flowers ligulate; juice milky. 

 One tribe, the Dandelion or Lettuce Tribe. 



Medicinal Plants: The Composite are rich in ethereal 

 oils, fatty oils, resins and bitter principles, and therefore 

 many species are used in medicine. Among others of 

 loss importance, the following may be noted: Artemisia 

 Absinthium (wormwood), tonic, febrifuge, anthelmintic; 

 A . Cina which furnishes santonica from which santonin 

 is extracted, anthelmintic, stimulant; A. vulgaris (mug- 

 wort) has been used as an emmenagogue and for epi- 

 lepsy; Anthemis nobilis (Roman chamomile), tonic, ner- 

 vine, emmenagogue; Malricaria Chamomilla (German 

 chamomile) , with similar properties; Tanacetum vulgare 

 (tansy), tonic, anthelmintic, emmenagogue, diuretic; 

 Arnica montana (arnica, leopard's bane), skin stimu- 

 lant, diuretic; Imda Helenium (elecampane), skin 

 stimulant; Eupatorium perfoliatum (boneset, thorough- 

 wort), tonic, diaphoretic, laxative; many Eupatoriums 

 of the tropics, famed remedies for snake-bites; Tussi- 

 lago Farfara (coltsfoot), sedative; Arctium Lappa and 

 A. minus (burdock), diaphoretic, alterative, used for 

 rheumatism; Calendula officinalis (marigold), diapho- 

 retic, alterative; Lacluca saliva (lettuce), the thickened 

 juice a narcotic, a substitute for opium; L. virosa (wild 

 lettuce), furnishing lactucarium or lettuce opium, a 

 poisonous anodyne, hypnotic, and sedative; Taraxacum 

 officinale (dandelion), tonic, but injurious to digestion; 

 species of Grindelia, tonic, sedative, used for asthma 

 and rheumatism; Erigeron canadense (fleabane), used 

 for diarrhea and uterine hemorrhage; Anacyclus Py- 

 rethrum (pellitory), skin irritant; Achillea Millefolium 

 (yarrow), an old remedy, styptic, tonic, sudorific, 

 antispasmodic. Brauneria (Echinacea), Prenanthes, 

 Xanthium, Helenium, Spilanthes, Baccharis, and 



Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum have been used locally 

 to some extent. The pollen of ragweed (Ambrosia 

 artemisifolia) , less commonly of species of Solidago and 

 other Composita?, is said to be the cause of autumnal 

 hay-fever. 



The following are used for food, as salads or cooked 

 in various ways: Young foliage of Circium (thistles), 

 Cynara Cardunculus (cardoon), Taraxacum officinale 

 (dandelion), Cichorium Intybus (chicory), Lacluca saliva 

 (lettuce), Cichorium Endivia (endive, succory), Pacou- 

 rina edulis, and Scolyrnus hispanicus, (Spanish oyster 

 plant) ; young flower heads of Cynara Scolyrnus (globe 

 artichoke); roots of Tragopogon porrifolius (vegetable 

 oyster, salsify), Scorzonera hispanica (Scorzonera, black 

 salsify), Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke). 

 Roots of chicory, roasted, are a substitute for coffee. 



The following yield dyes: Carthamus tinctorius, 

 (safflower) yields the red dye, carthamine; Senatula 

 tinctoria (dyer's savory) yields a yellow dye. 



The powdered heads of species of Chrysanthemum 

 furnish insect powder. An oil is obtained from the 

 seeds of Guizotia abyssinica (niger seeds) of India and 

 Abyssinia, used for food, painting, and burning. Seeds 

 of Madia saliva furnish an oil similar to olive oil, 

 edible, illuminating, and lubricating. The seeds of 

 Helianthus annuus also furnish a commercial oil. 



Many Composita? are ornamental. The species of 

 Helichrysum, Anaphalis, and related genera, have 

 papery involucres, and furnish well-known everlastings. 



More than one hundred and fifty genera are in culti- 

 vation in N. America, or are important weeds. Many of 

 our most important and most showy ornamental plants 

 belong to the Composite. Among these genera are: 

 Achillea (Milfoil, Yarrow, Sneezewort) ; Ageratum; Ana- 

 phalis (Everlasting, Moonshine) ; Antennaria (Everlast- 

 ing, Cat's-ear, Pussy's Toes, Ladies' Tobacco); An- 

 themis (Chamomile, Mayweed, Golden Marguerite); 

 Arctium (Burdock); Arnica (Mountain Tobacco, 

 Mountain Snuff); Artemisia (Wormwood, Tarragon, 

 Estragon, Southernwood, Roman Wormwood, Old Man 

 and Old Woman, Sage Brush) ; Aster (Aster. Starwort, 

 Miehailmas Daisy); Bidens (Bur Marigold, Beggar's 

 Ticks, Pitchfork Bur); Boltonia (False Chamomile); 

 Brachycome (Swan River Daisy); Brickellia (Tassel 

 Flower) ; Buphthalmum; Calendula (Marigold) jCalliste- 

 phus (China Aster); Cnicus or Carbenia (Blessed 

 Thistle); Carthamus (Safflower, False Saffron); Cen- 

 taurea (Centaury, Dusty Miller, Bachelor's Button. 

 Cornflower, Knapweed, Bluebottle, Bluet, Ragged 

 Sailor, Sweet Sultan, Basket Flower. Hardheads); 

 Chaenactis; Chrysanthemum (Feverfew, Golden Feather, 

 Turfing Daisy, Marguerite, Paris Daisy, Costmary, 

 Mint Geranium, Giant Daisy, Ox-eye Daisy, White- 

 .weed); Cichorium (Chicory, Succory); Cineraria; Cir- 

 cium or Cnicus (Common Thistles); Coreopsis (Tick- 

 seed, Golden Wave); Cosmos; Cynara (Artichoke, Car- 

 doon) ; Dahlia; Doronicum (Leopard's-Bane) ; Echinacea 

 or Brauneria (Purple Coneflower); Echinops (Globe 

 Thistle); Emilia (Tassel Flower); Erigeron (Flea- 

 bane, Poor Robin's Plantain); Eupatorium (Boneset, 

 Joe-Pye Weed, Thoroughwort, White Snakeroot); 

 Felicia (Blue Daisy, Blue Marguerite); Gaillardia; 

 Gazania (Peacock Gazania); Grindelia (Gum Plant); 

 Gynura (Velvet Plant); Helenium (Sneezeweed); He- 

 lianthus (Sunflower, Indian Potato, Jerusalem Arti- 

 choke); Helichrysum; Heliopsis; Helipterum; Hidalgoa 

 (Treasure Vine); Hieracium (Hawkweed, Rattlesnake 

 Weed, Devil's Paint-brush) ; Inula (Elecampane) ; Krigia 

 (Dwarf Dandelion); Lactuca (Lettuce); Leontopodium 

 (Edelweiss); Leptosyne; Liatris (Blazing Star, Button 

 Snakeroot); Lonas (African Daisy); Madia (Tarweed); 

 Matricaria; Mikania (Climbing Hempweed, Climbing 

 Boneset); Onopordon (Scotch Thistle); Parthenium 

 (American Feverfew, Prairie Dock); Pentachseta; Peta- 

 sites (Winter Heliotrope, Sweet Coltsfoot); Piqueria; 

 Podolepis; Polymnia (Leaf-cup); Prenanthes (Rattle 



