242 COMPOSITE. (COMPOSITE FAMILY.) 



* * * Heads in a compound corymb terminating the simple stem, not at all racemose : 



* leaves mostly with a strong midrib. 



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

 stem stout (3 -5 high), very leafy; corymb dense; leaves oval or oblong, copi- 

 ously feather-veined, thick and rigid ; the upper closely sessile by a broad base, 

 slightly serrate, the uppermost entire ; heads large, about 34-flowered ; the rays 

 7-10. Dry soil, Connecticut to N. Wisconsin and southward. 



13. S. Ohioensis, Riddell. Very smooth throughout ; stem wand-like, 

 slender, leafy (2 -3 high); stem-leaves oblong-lanceolate, fiat, entire, obscurely 

 feather- veined, closely sessile; the lower and radical ones elongated, slightly 

 serrate towards the apex, tapering into long margined petioles ; heads numerous, 

 on smooth pedicels, small, 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. 



14. S. Ridd&lii, 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, clustered, 20-24-flow- 

 ered; 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. 



15. S. Hough tbnii, Torr. & Gray. Smooth; stem rather low and slender 

 (l-2 high) ; leaves scattered, linear-lanceolate, acutish, fiat, entire, tapering into 

 a narrowed slightly clasping base, or the lower into margined petioles ; heads 



few or several, 20 - 30-flowered ; the rays 9 or 10. North shore of Lake Michi- 

 gan ; collected in the Michigan State Survey. Swamps at West Bergen, Gen- 

 esee Co., New York, J. A. Paine, &c. July, Aug. Leaves rough-margined, 

 2' -5' long, 2" -4" wide, 1-nerved, or the lower obscurely 3-nerved above; veins 

 obscure. Heads large, nearly ' long. Scales of the involucre obtuse. 



# # # # 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, oltscurdy veiny : heads rather large. 



16. S. Semp6rvirens, L. Smooth and stout (1 - 6 high) ; leaves fleshy, 

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

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

 brackish swamps, with thinner elongated linear-lanceolate leaves, tapering to 

 each end, and more erect racemes in a narrower panicle. Salt marshes, or 

 rocks on the shore, Maine to Virginia. Heads showy : the golden rays 8-10. 



*- Leaves usually ample, serrate, loosely feather -veined, or rarely slightly triple- 

 nerved: heads middle-sized. 



17. S. elliptica, Ait. Smooth; stem stout (l-3 high) , very leafy ; leaves 

 elliptical or oblong-lanceolate, acute (2' -3' long), closely sessile, slightly serrate, 

 strongly veined, thick, smooth both sides, shining above ; heads in dense spreading ra- 

 cemes which are crowded in a close pyramidal panicle ; peduncles and achenia stri- 

 gose-pubescent. Swamps (fresh or brackish) near the coast, Mass, to New Jer- 

 sey and southward. Heads showy, 3" long ; the rays 8-12. 



