Erigkron. COMPOSITiE. 353 



10. ERIGERON. Linn. ; Torr. ^ Gr. ft. N. Am. 2. p. 166. fleabane. 



EkiGiaoN, Stkkactii and Fhalehocoma, DC. 



[From the Greek, er, the spring, and geron, an old man ; because it is hoary early in the season j or, as some say, from 

 the bald heads of the receptacles after the hairy fruit has fallen.] 



Heads mostly hemispherical (sometimes cylindrical), many-flowered ; the ray-flowers very 

 numerous and usually in more than one series, pistillate ; those of the disk tubular, perfect ; 

 or some of the exterior filiform-tubular and truncate, pistillate. Scales of the involucre 

 mostly equal, narrow, in a single or somewhat double series. Receptacle flat, naked, 

 punctate or scrobiculate. Appendages of the style very short and obtuse. Achenia com- 

 pressed, usually pubescent, commonly with two lateral nerves. Pappus a single series of 

 capillary rough bristles, often with minute ones intermixed or forming an indistinct outer 

 series, or sometimes with a distinct short scaly setaceous exterior pappus ; the inner pappus 

 rarely wanting in the ray. — Herbs or rarely suffrutescent plants, with entire, lobed, or 

 toothed leaves. Heads solitary, corymbose or paniculate. Rays white, blue or purple. 



^ 1. C^NOTTJs, Nutt Rays in several series, shorter than the involucre: pappus simple: achenia 

 2-nerved : corolla of the disk mostly i-toothed : heads very small, . cylindrical. — Annual or 

 biennial herbs. 



1. Erigeron Canadense, Linn. Horse-weed or Butter-tveed. 



Stem erect, hispid or sometimes smoothish, paniculately very much branched above ; leaves 

 lanceolate-linear, the lower ones somewhat serrate , upper ones entire, hispidly ciliate ; heads 

 very numerous, corymbosely paniculate and crowded ; rays (white) shorter than the pappus ; 

 achenia sparsely hispid. — Linn. sp. 2. p. 863 ; Fl. Dan. t. 292 ; Michx.ji. 2. p. 123 ; Pursh, 

 fl. 2. p. 534 ; Nutt. gen. 2. p. 148 ; Ell. sk. 2. p. 397 ; Torr. compend. p. 291 ; Hook. fl. 

 Bar. -Am. 2. p. 20 ; Beck, hot. p. 180 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 471 ; DC. prodr. 5. p. 289 ; 

 Torr. 4- Gr.fl. N. Am. 2. p. 167. E, pusillum, Nutt. I. c. Senecio ciliatus, Walt.fl. Car. 

 p. 208. 



Stem 1-6 feet high (in sterile sandy soils often only 4-6 inches, in which state it is E. 

 pusillum, Nutt.), usually very hairy. Leaves 2-4 inches long and 1-4 lines wide, tapering 

 at the base ; the lower ones sparingly toothed, 3-nerved. Heads scarcely a line and a half 

 long. Scales of the involucre a little hairy. Rays very numerous and narrow. Achenia 

 oblong, whitish. 



Fields and waste grounds ; very common. July - October. This weed has long been 

 naturalized in Europe. It is sometimes employed as a domestic medicine, being considered 

 tonic, astringent and diuretic (See Wood <^ Backers U. S. Dispens. append, p. 1085). E. 

 pusillum of Nuttall is only a dwarf state of the plant. 



[Flora.] 45 



