Genus 24.] 



THISTLE FAMILY. 



349 



1. Brachychaeta sphacelata (Raf.) 

 Britton. False Golden-rod. (Fig. 3721.) 



Solidago sphacelata Raf. Ann. Nat. 14. 1820. 

 5. corda/a Short, Trans. Journ. Med. 7: 599. 1834. 

 Brachychaeta cnrdata T. cS: G. Fl. N. A. 2: 194. 1841. 

 B. sphacelata Britton; Kearney, Bull. Torr. Club, 20: 

 484. 1893. 



Stem erect, pubescent, simple, or branched 

 above, 2-4 high. Basal and lower leaves 

 broadly ovate, cordate or truncate at the base, 

 acute at the apex, pinnately veined, sharply ser- 

 rate, 3 / -6 / long, the slender petioles 3 / -o/ long, 

 stem leaves gradually smaller and shorter-peti- 

 oled, the uppermost very small and sessile; heads 

 about lyi" high, racemose-secund or densely 

 clustered on the short branches of the narrow 

 elongated terminal thyrsus; bracts of the invo- 

 lucre oblong or linear-oblong, obtuse or acutish; 

 rays and disk-flowers each about 5. 



In dry woods, western Virginia to Indiana, south 

 to North Carolina and Georgia. Aug.-Sept. 



25. APHANOSTEPHUS DC. Prodr. 5: 310. 1836. 

 Erect or ascending canescent branching herbs, with alternate leaves, and rather large 

 heads of both tubular and radiate flowers, solitary at the ends of the branches. Involucre 

 hemispheric, its bracts lanceolate or linear, scarious-margined, imbricated in a few series, the 

 outer smaller. Receptacle convex or conic, naked. Ray-flowers pistillate, white or purplish. 

 Disk-flowers perfect,yellow, their corollas tubular, the limb expanded above, 5-dentate. Anthers 

 obtuse and entire at the base. Style-branches flattened, their appendages short, obtuse. 

 Achenes many-ribbed. Pappus a short dentate crown. [Greek, faint-crown.] 



About 5 species, natives of the southwestern United States and Mexico. 



i. Aphanostephus skirrobasis (DC.) 

 Trelease. Aphanostephus (Fig. 3722.) 



Keerlia skirrobasis DC. Prodr. 5: 310. 1836. 

 Leucopsidium Arkansanum DC. Prodr. 6:43. 1837. 

 Aphanostephus Atkansanus A. Gray, PI. Wright. 1: 



93. 1852. 

 Aphanostephus skirrobasis Trelease; Coville & Bran- 



ner, Rep. Geol. Surv. Ark. 1884: Part 4, 191. 1891. 



Erect, or diffusely branched, densely canescent, 

 6 / -2 high. Basal and lower leaves spatulate, ob- 

 tuse, I/-4' long, somewhat dentate, laciniate or 

 entire, narrowed into margined petioles; upper 

 leaves lanceolate, oblong or oblanceolate, obtuse or 

 acute, mostly sessile, smaller; heads 8 // -i2 // broad, 

 3 // -5 // high; rays numerous, narrow, entire; 

 achenes ribbed and angled; pappus a lobed or den- 

 tate crown. 



In dry soil, Kansas to Texas. Also in Florida. 

 May-Aug. 



26. BELLIS L. Sp. PI. 886. 1753. 

 Tufted herbs, with branching orscapose stems, alternate or basal leaves, and rather large 

 heads of both tubular and radiate flowers, solitary at the ends of the branches, or of the mono- 

 cephalous scape. Involucre hemispheric or broadly campanulate, its bracts herbaceous, im- 

 bricated in 1 or 2 series, nearly equal. Receptacle convex or conic, naked. Ray-flowers 

 white or pink, pistillate. Disk-flowers yellow, perfect, their corollas tubular, the limb 4- 

 5-toothed. Anthers obtuse and entire at the base. Style-branches flattened, their appen- 

 dages short, triangular. Achenes flattened, nerved near the margins. Pappus none, or a 

 ring of minute bristles. [Latin, pretty.] 



About 9 species, natives of the northern hemisphere. Only the following are known to occur 

 in North America, but 2 others are found in Mexico. 



Stem branched, 6' -15' high; involucral bracts acute. 1. B. integrifolia. 



Scapes monocephalous, i'-j high; involucral bracts obtuse. 2. B. perennis. 



