COMPOSITE. (COMPOSITE FAMILY.) 215 



top, with no pappus, or a minute crown-like border. Chiefly perennial herbs, 

 with alternate leaves, and showy heads terminating the stem or branches ; the 

 rays generally long and drooping, yellow. (Named in honor of the Professors 

 Rudbeck, father and son, predecessors of Linnaeus at Upsal.) 



* Disk columnar in fruit, dutt greenish-yellow : leaves divided and cut. 



1. R. laciniata, L. Stem smooth, branching (3 -7 high); leaves 

 smooth or roughish, the lowest pinnate, with 5-7 cut or 3-lobed leaflets ; upper 

 leaves irregularly 3 - 5-parted ; the lobes ovate-lanceolate, pointed, or the upper- 

 most undivided ; heads long-peduncled ; chaff truncate and downy at the tip ; 

 rays linear (l'-2' long), drooping. Low thickets; common. July- Sept. 



* * Disk globular, pah brownish : lower leaves 3-parted : receptacle sweet-scented. 



2. R, subtomeiltosa, Pursh. Stem branching above (3 -4 high), 

 downy, as well as the lower side of the ovate or ovate-lanceolate serrate leaves ; 

 heads short-peduncled ; chaff downy at the blunt apex. Prairies, Wisconsin, 

 Illinois, and southward. 



# * * Disk broadly conical, dark purple or brown : haves undivided, except No. 3. 



3. R. triloba, L. Hairy, much branched (2 -5 high), the branches 

 slender and spreading ; upper leaves ovate-lanceolate, sparingly toothed, the lower 

 3-lobed, tapering at the base, coarsely serrate (those from the root pinnately parted 

 or undivided); rays 8, oval or oblong; chaff" of the black-purple disk smooth, 

 awned. (2) Dry soil, Penn. to Illinois, and southward. Aug. Heads small, 

 but numerous and showy. 



4. R. Speciosa, Wender. Koughish-hairy (l-2high), branched; the 

 branches upright, elongated and naked above, terminated by single large heads ; 

 leaves lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, pointed at both ends, petioled, 3 - 5-nerved, coarsely 

 and unequally toothed or incised ; involucre much shorter than the numerous elon- 

 gated (I'-l^') rays; chaff of the dark purple disk acutish, smooth. Dry soil, 

 W. Penn. to Ohio and Virginia. July. 



5. R. fulgida, Ait. Hairy, the branches naked at the summit and bear- 

 ing single heads ; haves spatulate-oblong or lanceolate, partly clasping, triple-nerved, 

 the upper entire, mostly obtuse ; rays about 12, equalling or exceeding the involucre ; 

 chaff of the dark purple disk nearly smooth and blunt. Dry soil, Penn. to 

 Kentucky and southward. Variable, 1 - 3 high : the rays orange-yellow. 



6. R. liirta, L. Very rough and bristly-hairy throughout ; stems simple 

 or branched near the base, stout (l-2 high), naked above, bearing single 

 large heads ; leaves nearly entire ; the upper oblong or lanceolate, sessile ; the lower 

 spatulate, triple-nerved, petioled ; rays (about 14) more or less exceeding the 

 involucre ; chaff" of the dull brown disk hairy at the tip, acutish. Dry soil, W. 

 New York to Wisconsin and southward. Also in S. New York (White Plains) 

 and various parts of N. England, but probably of recent introduction. Aug. 

 Coarser and less showy than the preceding, variable in the size of the rays. 



38. LEPACIIYS, Kaf. (OBELISCARIA, DC.) 



Heads many-flowered, radiate ; the rays few, neutral. Scales of the involucre 

 few and small, spreading. Receptacle oblong or columnar : the chaff truncate, 



