COMPOSITE FAMILY 



oblong; two inches long and more; obtuse or obtusish at 

 the apex; stemless or on short petioles; the stem leaves 

 usually entire; the lowest and basal usually serrate. 



THE FLOWER HEADS: rather numerous, on stems; bracts of 

 the involucre without hairs or nearly so. Rays sometimes 

 purplish, occasionally minute or wanting. 



THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus of bristles and scales. 



If its stem were only more leafy, this plant would not 

 be unattractive, for its forking branches are somewhat 

 graceful, and its small, daisy-like flowers, with their yel- 

 low centres and thin, narrow rays, rather pretty. 



COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY 



Sericocarpus aster oides, (L.) BSP 



Whitish White-topped Aster. 



July-September 



Sericocarpus: Greek for silky fruit. 

 Aster oides: Latin, resembling an aster. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil, under pine 

 trees. 



THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two feet high; the stem 

 slightly angled, with few, soft hairs or practically hairless. 



THE LEAVES: basal or those of the stem alternate; obovate 

 or spatulate, oblong or oblong-lanceolate; two inches to 

 four inches long; with short, soft hairs or hairless; acute or 

 obtuse at the apex; narrowed into petioles; entire or round- 

 toothed; pinnately veined and faintly three-nerved. 



THE FLOWER HEADS: about one half inch high, densely 

 clustered; involucre bell-shaped; its bracts oblong, with 

 short, soft hairs on the surface or on the edge, the outer 

 with green reflexed tips. 



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