

DIPSACACEAE (TEASEL FAMILY) 763 



between them. Low grounds, Mass, to Minn., Tex., and Fla. Var. LEIOCARPA 

 (T. & G.) Krok. Fruit glabrous. Of similar range, not rare. 



4. V. stenocarpa (Engelm.) Krok. Fruit oblong-tetragonal, commonly gla- 

 brous; oblong fertile cell thicker than the linear-oblong approximate empty 

 ones. Mo. and Kan. to Tex. 



.,_ H_ H_ Fertile cell much the narrowest, dorsally l-nerved ; section roundish. 



5. V. Woodsiana (T. & G.) Walp. Fruit 2 mm. long or more ; fertile cell 

 ovate, tipped with a tooth ; empty ones inflated, with oblong depression (some- 

 times an open cavity) in the middle. Moist grounds, N. Y. to Tex. 



Var. umbilicata (Sulliv.) Gray. Empty cells becoming confluent, vesicular 

 by incurvation of the circular margin, forming a deep and round umbilication. 

 N. Y. to O., and southw. 



Var. patellaria (Sulliv.) Gray. Fruit saucer-shaped, emarginate at base and 

 apex, winged by the divergent cells. Same range. 



2. SIPHONELLA (T. & G.) Walp. Corolla salver-form; the tube slender, 

 2-4 times the length of the bilabiate limb; fruit with divergent empty cells 

 much larger than the fertile. 



6. V. longiflbra (T. & G.) Walp. Erect several times dichotomously 

 branched annual ; leaves oblong, the lower spatulate ; corolla 12 mm. long, 

 rose-tinged or purplish. Rocky places, Mo. and Ark. 



DIPSACACEAE (TEASEL FAMILY) 



Herbs, with opposite or whorled leaves, no stipules, and the flowers in dense 

 heads, surrounded by an involucre, as in the Composite Family ; but the stamens 

 distinct, and the suspended seed destitute of albumen. Represented by the 

 following introduced genera. 



1. Dipsacus. Chaff of the receptacle with long rigid points. 



2. Succisa. Chaff herbaceous, about equaling the flowers, not rigid-pointed. 



3. Knautia. Chaff none. 



1. DIPSACUS [Tourn.] L. TEASEL 



Involucre many-leaved, longer than the chaffy leafy-tipped bracts among the 

 densely capitate flowers ; each flower with a 4-leaved calyx-like involucel' 

 investing the ovary and fruit (achene). Calyx-tube adherent to the ovary, the 

 limb cup-shaped, without a pappus. Corolla nearly regular, 4-cleft. Stamens 

 4, inserted on the corolla. Style slender. Stout and coarse biennials, hairy 

 or prickly, with large ovoid-ellipsoid heads. (Name from duj/ijv, to thirst, 

 probably because the united cup-shaped bases of the leaves in some species hold 

 water. ) 



1. D. SYLVESTRIS Huds. (WILD T.) Prickly ; leaves lance-oblong, toothed 

 and often prickly on the margin ; leaves of the involucre slender, ascending, 

 longer than the head ; bracts (chaff) tapering into a long flexible awn with a 

 straight point. Roadsides, rather rare. (Nat. from Eu.) 



2. D. LACINIATOS L. Leaves pinnatifid or bipinnatifid, finely and rather 

 conspicuously ciliate; leaves of the involucre lance-linear, spreading, usually 

 shorter than the head. Established at Albany, N. Y. (Peck). (Adv. from Eu. ) 



2. SUCCtSA (Rupp.) Neck. DEVIL'S-BIT 



Involucre many-leaved. Involucels (often called outer calyx) closely in- 

 vesting the ovary and -fruit, 4-8-furrowed throughout their entire length, pris- 

 matic or somewhat fusiform, the limb shortly 4-lobed or -toothed, erect or 

 spreading. Limb of the true calyx minutely 5-toothed, or of 6 awns. Corolla 

 funnel-form or campanulate, 4(-5)-lobed. Stamens 4, borne on the corolla. 



