CUMPOSIT.E. (COMPOSITE lA.MlLV.; 141 



rigid scabrous fragile bristles, dirty or tawny, ran-ly whiUj oud soft Pereauiala, 

 coinmonly with hispid or hirsute, or often glandular iiubuHtenco. 

 77. Crepis. Involucre few to niauy-flowered, somewhat imbricated, or more commonly a 

 series of equal bracts and some short calyculate ones. Akenes from columnar to 

 fusiform, 10 to 20-costate. Paiipus of copious white and usually soft caiullar>' briijtle«. 

 Annuals or perennials. 



= = Flowers from whitish or cream-color to violet or rose-red. 

 7S. Prenanthes. Heads 5 to 30-flowercd, mostly ncjdding. Akenes terete or 4 to &-angled, 

 commonly striate, with truncate summit. rai)pus of copious rather rigid capillary 

 bristles, in one section frojn whitish to ferruginous. Leafy-stemmed JK-Tennlals, will. 

 paniculate or thyrsoidly disposed heads ; leaves dilated. 



79. L.ygodesmia. Heads 3 to 12-(lowered, erect. Akenes terete, obscurely few-Htriate or 



angled, commonly linear or slender-fusiform. Pappus of eopious and usually unequal 

 capillary bristles, either soft or rigidulous, from sordidwhitisli Uj white. St<'mB 

 mostly rush-like and striate; leaves narrow-linear or reduced to scales. Flowen 

 rose-colored. 



•H- «• Beak to the akenes distinct and slender : heads erect. 



80. Troximon. Heads many-flowered, solitarj', terminating simple naked .scapes. Invo- 



lucre campanulate or oblong, more or less imbricated. Akenes 10-rostJite or 10- 

 nerved, smooth, not muricate nor sculptured. Pappus white or whitish. Flowers 

 yellow, orange, or rarely purple. 



81. Taraxacum. Heads many-flowered, solitary, tenninating simple and fistulous naked 



scapes. Involucre campanulate or oblong, a single series of nearly equal narrow 

 bracts, a little connate at base, and several or numerous calyculate bracts at the base. 

 Akenes oblong-obovate to fusiform, 4 to 5-cnstate or angled, muricate or spinulose. 

 the summit abruptly contracted into a liliform beak. Pappus soft and capillary, didl 

 ■white, no woolly ring at its base. Flowers yellow. 



82. Pyrrhopappiis. Heads and involucre nearly of the last, ternnnating scapose or 



leafy stems or branches. Akenes oblong or linear-fusiform, about 5-costate or sulcate, 

 muriculate-ragulose, tapering abruptly into a long filiform beak. Pappus copiou.s, 

 soft and capillary, fulvous or rufous, its base usually surrounded by a soft-vjllous 

 ring. Flowers yellow. 



■*- ■*- -^Akenes flattened : pappus of copious fine and soft capillary bristles : leafj--stemmed 

 plants, with more or less paniculate heads. 



S3. Lactuca.i Involucre cylindraceous, or in fruit somewhat conoidal, several to many- 

 flowered. Akenes obcompressed, and with a beak or narrowed summit, whii-h is 

 more or less expanded at apex into a pappiferous disk. Pappus of bright white or 

 rarely sordid bristles, falling separately. 



1. VERNONIA, Schreb. Iron-weed. 



Perennial herbs, with alternate piunately-veined leaves, and n.-<nally purple 

 or rose-colored flowers, sometimes varyin*^ to white. 



1. V. fasciCTllata, Michx. Glabrous, or nearly so, 2 to 5 /»r/ hitjh: 

 leaves thiekish, from linear to oblonfj-lanceolate, covspintousli/ spiiiulnsc-<ient{nt- 

 late: heads numerous and rrowdrd on tltc branches of the compound cipne: invo- 

 lucre (3 or 4 lines high) 20 to ;30-flowered ; its bracts all ol)tu.<*c, or .-^omc of 

 the uppermost abruptly mucronate-acute. — From the I)akt)ta.s to Te.\;ui with- 

 in the eastern limits of our range, and eastward to tlie Mississippi States. 



1 The following Old-World genus has several species naluralizoil within our ranp': — 

 Sonchus. Involucre campanulate or broader, in age usually broadened and fleshy-thick- 

 ened at base, and becoming conical. Akenes obcomi»ressed, destitute of Ix-ak or neck or 

 dilated pappiferous disk. Pappus of very soft and fine flaccid bristles, which fall more oi 

 less in connection, and commonly one or more stronger ones, which fall separatxjiy. 



