Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 337 

 COMPOSITE FAMILY (Compositae). 



TALL BLAZING STAR (Liatris scariosa) is a tall, 

 handsome perennial that throws up its beautiful 

 spike of blossoms in Fall, together with those of the 

 Asters and Golden-rods. The plant usually grows in 

 dry situations and attains heights of 2 to 6 feet. A 

 long spike containing numerous, quite large, flower 

 heads adorns the top of the stem. These heads, 

 which are about % in. in diameter, have a very dis- 

 heveled appearance for the magenta-purple rays 

 emerge in all directions; they are contained in a 

 large imbricated involucre. The leaves are stiff, lan- 

 ceolate, and closely alternated along the stem, the 

 upper, small ones, acting as bracts for the flower 

 heads. 



The Blazing Star furnishes another welcome color 

 to add to the many hues of the late flowers that so 

 plentifully bedeck our land. It is found from Me. to 

 Mich, and southwards. A more common species, 

 (Liatris spicata) has smaller flower heads, set in a 

 longer spike and has linear leaves. It is found from 

 Mass, to Minn, and southwards. 



I RON WEED (Veronia noveboracensis) is a tall (3 

 to 7 feet) and smooth-stemmed member of the Com- 

 posite Family. The alternating leaves are lanceolate 

 and finely toothed. The flower heads are grouped in 

 flat-topped clusters. The rays are slender and very 

 numerous, giving the heads the appearance of lit- 

 tle thistles. This species blooms in August and Sep- 

 tember, at which season it is one of the characteris- 

 tic plants in moist ground near the seashore. Other 

 similar species are found in the central portions of 

 the country, notably V. altissima, which is common 

 from N. Y. to Mich, and southwards. 



