COMPOSITAE (COMPOSITE FAMILY) 551 



Larger than either of the preceding species, two to three feet 

 high, the whole plant usually rough-hairy. Base leaves about six 

 inches in length, oblong to spatulate, lobed or coarsely and very 

 irregularly toothed, narrowing to margined petioles; upper ones 

 much smaller, lance-shaped, and clasping. Heads deep yellow, 

 more than an inch broad, in an open corymbose cluster ; involucre 

 about a half-inch high, its principal bracts narrowly lance-shaped, 

 the outer row short, pointed, and spreading. Achenes smooth, 

 slightly tapering to the apex, with thirteen ribs and a spreading 

 pappus of very fine, white bristles. 



Means of control 



Hoe-cutting or spudding of first year leaf-crowns from the fleshy 

 root ; plants that survive to form fruiting stalks in the second year 

 should be cut close to the ground before the first flowers mature. 



SMOOTH WHITE LETTUCE 



Prendnthes racemdsa, Michx. 

 (Ndbalus racemosus, DC.) 



Native. Perennial. Propagates by seeds. 



Time of bloom: August to September. 



Seed-time: September to October. 



Range: New Brunswick to the Northwest Territory, southward to 



New York, New Jersey, Missouri, and Colorado. 

 Habitat : Moist soil ; prairies and banks of streams, wet meadows, 



and marshes. 



A plant of very stately appearance, with a stout stalk, two to 

 six feet or more in height, erect, simple, finely ridged, smooth, 

 and glaucous, springing from a thick, tuberous, and very bitter root. 

 Leaves light green, rather thick in texture, smooth, glaucous, the 

 lower ones sometimes oval but usually oblong to obovate, four to 

 eight inches in length, obtuse at apex, tapering to long, margined 

 petioles, the edges with sparse and shallow teeth ; upper ones much 

 smaller, long-ovate to lance-shaped, acute, often entire, sessile, 

 and partly clasping. Heads in a long, interrupted, spike-like 

 panicle, the clusters densely crowded, some of the heads nodding 

 but the greater number erect ; florets pale purple, eight to fifteen 



