COMPOSITE. (COMPOSITE FAMILY.) 203 



flowered, crowded in an oblong or wand-like raceme or contracted panicle 

 (2' -18' long) ; scales of the involucre loose and thin, long, lanceolate, taper 

 pointed; rays 8-10, elongated; achenia smooth. (S. Virga-aurea, Pursh. S. 

 leiocarpa, DC.) Wooded sides of high mountains of Maine to New York (south 

 to the Catskills), shore of Lake Superior, and northward. 



* * * Heads in a compound corymb terminating the simple stem, showy : leaves thick- 

 ish, mostly feather-veined from a strong midrib. 



11. S. rigida, L. Rough and somewhat hoary with a minute pubescence; 

 stem stout (3 - 5 high), very leafy ; the short compact clusters densely cor- 

 ymbed at the summit ; leaves oval or oblong, the upper closely sessile by a broad 

 base, slightly serrate, the uppermost entire, veiny, thick and rigid ; heads large, 

 about 34-flowered; the rays 7-10. Dry soil, Connecticut to Wisconsin and 

 southward. 



12. S. Ohiocnsis, Riddell. Very smooth throughout; stem wand-like, 

 slender, leafy (2 -3 high); stem-leaves oblong-lanceolate, flat, entire, closely 

 sessile, the lower and radical ones elongated, slightly serrate towards the apex 

 somewhat veiny, tapering into long margined petioles ; heads numerous in a 

 flat-topped compound corymb, on smooth pedicels, 16-20-flowered; the rays 

 6 or 7. Moist meadows or prairies, W. New York to Ohio and Wisconsin. 

 Root-leaves 1 long; the upper reduced to l'-2', with rough margins, like the 

 rest. Heads smaller than in any other of this section, scarcely one third the 

 size of those of No. 11. 



13. S. Riddellii, Frank. Smooth and stout (2 -4 high), very leafy, the 

 branches of the dense corymb and pedicels rough-pubescent ; leaves linear-lance- 

 olate, elongated (4' -6' long), entire, acute, partly clasping or sheathing, condupli- 

 cate and mostly recurved, the lowest elongated-lanceolate and tapering into a long 

 keeled petiole, obscurely 3-nerved ; heads very numerous in close clusters, aggre- 

 gated in a spreading flat-topped compound corymb, 20 - 24-flowered ; the rays 

 7-9. Wet grassy prairies, Ohio to Wisconsin, and Illinois. Heads larger 

 than in the last, 2" - 3" long. Stem-leaves upright and partly sheathing at the 

 base, then gradually recurved-spreading. 



14. S. Ilouglrtonii, Torr. & Gray, ined. Smooth ; stem rather low and 

 slender (l-l high); leaves scattered, linear-lanceolate, acutish, fiat, entire, 

 tapering into a narrowed slightly clasping base, or the lower into margined peti- 

 oles ; heads several, crowded in a small nearly simple corymb, 20 - 30-flowered ; 

 the rays 9 or 10. North shore of Lake Michigan; collected in the Michigan 

 State Survey. Aug. Leaves smooth, but not shining, rough-margined, 3' -5 

 long, 1 -nerved, or the lower very obscurely 3-nerved above. Corymb minutely 

 pubescent. Heads large, nearly ' long. Scales of the involucre obtuse, mi- 

 nutely ciliate. 



# * * * Heads in one-sided more or less spreading or recurved racemes : leaves 



veiny, not 3-ribbed, but sometimes obscurely triple-nerved. 

 *- Leaves thickish, very smooth, entire, elongated, obscurely veiny : heads rather large 



15. S. sempervirens, L. Smooth and stout (l-8 high); leaves 

 fleshy, lanceolate, slightly clasping, or the lower lanceolate-oblong, obscurely 

 triple-nerved ; racemes short, in an open or contracted panicle. Varies, in icss 



