COMPOSITE FAMILY. 229 



77. TARAXACUM. Head ot vt>iy many yellow flowers on a slender, liollow, and wholly 

 naked scape. Involucre double, the inner of numerous narrow scales in a single 

 row, the outer of short loose scales. Akenes terete or spindle-shaped, strongly 

 ribbed and tubercled on the ribs, much shorter than its slender beak which elevates 

 at maturity the soft and white jtappus. (Lessons, Fig. 384.) 



7s. CHONDIilLL.'V. Heads few-rtowered, small, yellow. Involucre cylindrical, of several 

 very narrow equal scales, and a row of small bracts at the base. Akene terete, sev- 

 eral-ribbed, rough above but smooth below. Pappus bright white. Wand-like herbs. 



79. LACTUCA. Heads of sever.il viiriously colored flowers. Involucre of several lanceo- 

 late or ovate imbricated scales of unequal length. Akenes flat, abruptly contracted 

 into the beak or neck which elevates the very white soft p.appus. Stems leafy, 

 -i- -I- Akenes beakless. 



SO. SONCHUS. Involucre as in the last, or with narrow and more equal scales, and tumid 

 at base. Flowers yellow. Akene flat and short, without a beak to support its very 

 soft white pappus. Stems branching and leafy. (Lessons, Fig. 38-3.) 



1. VERNONIA, IRONWEED. (Named for a Wm. Vernon, of Eng- 

 land, who traveled in this country.) Flowers autumn. 11 



* Leaves sllt/hthj or not at all scabrous, not revolute. 



V. Noveborac^nsis, Willd. Common Ikonweed. Near the coast 

 and along rivers \V. ; 'S'~'-6° high, with lanceolate serrate leaves, crowded 

 along the whole height of the stem ; heads in a broad cyme ; scales of 

 involucre with slender awl-shaped or awn-like tips; akene lightly hairy. 



V. altfssima, Nutt. Tall ; leaves lanceolate ; cyme loose ; scales close, 

 obtuse or sini]ily mucronate ; akene slightly hairy. Penn., W. and S. 



V. fasciculata, Michx. Scales of involucre blunt and pointless, except 

 perhaps some of tlie lowest; akene smooth. Ohio, W. and S. 



* * Leaves scabrous above, often revolute. 

 V. angustif61ia, Michx. Slender, 10-3° high ; leaves filiform to linear- 

 lanceolate ; akenes minutely hirsute. N. C, S. and W. 



2. PIQUIJRIA. (Named for a Spanish botanist, A. Piquerio.). 



P. trineri/ia, Cav. Mexico; cult, for winter-blooming; smooth, 2°S° 

 high (also a dwarfer form), branched, with lance-oblong, o-nerved, spar- 

 ingly serrate leaves, and loose panicled corymbs of very small white- 

 flowered heads ; much used in dressing larger cut flowers. A form with 

 white-edged leaves is used for edgings. In gardens often known as 

 Stevia serrata. 21 



3. SCLEROLEPIS. (Greek : hard scale, referring to the pappus.) 21 

 S. verticillata, Cass. Stem simple, rooting in water at the base ; 



leaves linear and entire, small, in whorls of 4-(i ; flowers rose-purple or 

 flesh-colored in a small terminal peduncled cluster. Pine barrens, N. J., S. 



4. AGERATUM. (Greek : not grounnrj old, probably applied originally 

 to sonu' sort of Everlasting.) 



A. conyzoldes, Linn. Soft-downy, 2°-o° high; ovate or .somewhat 

 heart-shaped petioled leaves ; corymbed heads of azure-blue flowers, 

 produced all summer and autumn. Known in gardensas A. MexicXnum. 

 Tropical Amer. ; sparingly nat. S. ® 



5. MIKANIA, CLIMHING IlEMPWEED. (A Bi.luniian botanist, 

 Prof. Mikan.) 



M. scandens, Willd. Rather handsome plant, climbing over buslies 

 in low grounds, N. Eng. S. and W. ; leaves triangular-heart-shaped or 

 halberd-shaped; lieads small, of purplish flowers, in summer. 21 



