SYNCENESIA. SUPERFLUA. 149 



scabrous; discal florets 4-cleft. Hab. In New Jersey and 

 Pennsylvania, common; passinp^ for a minute variety of 

 the preceding-, from whicl\ it differs in several partlcu' 

 lars wiiicli are sufficiently constant. From 4 to 6 inches 

 high, the preceding- from'Sto 6 feet; in this the panicle is 

 simple with a fastig-iate tendency, the ramuli naked, or 

 merely squamose, and elegantly divaricate, each perfecting- 

 2 or 3 flowers. 



8. divaricatum. Decumbent; divaricately and diffusely 

 branch.ed, ramuli fastif^'-iate; leaves subulate; discal florets 

 4-clefL. Had. In Kentucky; also abundant around St. Lou- 

 is, Louisiana, on the margin of the Missisippi; and more or 

 less along the course of that river to Xew Orleans. Very 

 distinct from the preceding by its diffuse anel decum- 

 bent stem, whlcli scarcely exceeds 6 inches in height^ 

 but spreading out 1 or 2 feet. 



The genus Erigcron, now comprising about 50 species, 

 extending through both hemispheres as far as the Straits^ 

 of Magellan, will probably be retrenched. If ever careful- 

 ly revised. From tlie number of species, which I have 

 examined at least patiently, I am convinced that in this, 

 as in many other natural genera, we must seek for cha- 

 racter under the microscope. In every genuine species of 

 Erigeron, we may, 1 think, confidently expect the presence 

 of a tlouble papjius, a distinction which is not altogether 

 invisible to the naked eye in such species as have the 

 pilose crov/n coloured, the small, external paleaceous rays 

 being then readily distinguishable by their whiteness. 

 The paucity of rays in the pilose pappus, which are scarce- 

 ly scabrous tlirough an ordinary lens, their pale colour, 

 together with the form, dln»lnuiive size and comparative 

 smoothness of the seed, will be found useful characters 

 when contrasted wjih Chrysopsis, which also possAses a 

 ilou')l pappus, aiid in some of Us extremes approximates 

 to ICrigeron. 



i58. INULA. L. (Flea-bane.) 



Cdlix squaiTo.se or imbricatp. "Raijs of the 

 corolla numerous, yellow. Anthers each bisc- 

 to.se at the base. ReceptaclQ naked. Puppus 

 simple. 



Flowers terminal, often corymbo-je. 

 Sv£ciES. L I. JJefenium. Naturalized in many parts 

 of the state of New York. 



N 2 



