COMPOSITE FAMILY 



The general colour-tone of this low, bushy plant is yel- 

 low-green. The flower heads are a yellow-creamy white 

 and the stem (much branched at the top) as well as 

 the narrow leaves is " velvety hairy and delicately sage 

 green." The plant has an aromatic odour, strong and 

 very lasting, which resembles that of slippery elm, and 

 while one cannot call the succulent stems " tasty," the 

 Nantucket boys say they used to chew them to quench 

 their thirst. 



From the plant is obtained a drug, valuable in the treat- 

 ment of sciatica. 



COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY 



Ambrosia artemisiifolia, L. 



Green ' Ragweed, Black-weed, 



Hayweed, Butter-weed, 



July-October Hay] ever-weed, Tassel-weed, 



t Hog-weed, Roman-wormwood. 



Carrot-weed, 



Ambrosia: the Greek and Latin name of several plants as 

 well as the food of the gods, signifying to die immortal. 



Artemisiifolia: Latin, meaning "the leaves of the Arte- 

 misia," in allusion to the fact that these leaves resemble 

 those of the Artemisia. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides and neglected fields. 



THE PLANT: erect, paniculately branched, one foot to 

 five feet high; the stem with short, soft hairs or more or 

 less stiff ones. 



THE LEAVES: upper, alternate; lower, mostly opposite; 

 all very variable; one to two pinnatifid or the leaves of 

 the flowering branches often undivided; two to four 

 inches long; above, smoothish; beneath, paler and with 

 ashy-grey hairs; petioled; the divisions, lanceolate, acute 

 or obtuse at the apex. 



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