364 COMPOSITiE. Solidago. 



16. Solidago odora, Ait. ^ Sweet-scented Golden-rod. 



Stem slender, simple, pubescent in lines ; leaves linear-lanceolate, entire, smooth, rough 

 on the margin, marked with pellucid dots ; racemes paniculate ; involucre smooth ; rays 3-4, 

 large; disk-flowers 3-4; achenia minutely hairy. — Ait. Kew. (ed. 1.) 3. p. 214; Pursh, 

 fl. 2. p. 539 ; Ell. sk. 2. p. 376 ; Bigel. med. hot. t. p. 188. t. 20, andfl. Bost. p. 304 ; Beck, 

 hot. p. 191 ; Hook.Jl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 3 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 457 ; DC. prodr. 5. p. 334 ; 

 Torr. 4- Gr. fl. N. Am. 2. p. 219. S. retrorsa, Michx. fl. 2. p. 117 ; Ell. sk. 2. p. 377. 



Stem 3-4 feet high, often reclined ; the lines of pubescence descending from the base of 

 the leaves. Leaves closely sessile, spreading or reflexed, 5-8 lines wide, tapering to a 

 point ; the midrib light-colored and prominent ; the veins indistinct. Panicle pyramidal, 

 mostly secund. Heads of flowers middle sized ; the pedicels hairy. Scales of the involucre 

 rather acute, oblong-lanceolate, slightly carinate. 



Borders of woods, and in bushy places, in dry soil ; common. August - September. The 

 leaves of this plant exhale a pleasant odor of aniseed when bruised, and yield by distillation 

 a fragrant volatile oil, which is used as a remedy for flatulence and to allay nausea. 



17. Solidago nemoralis, Ait. Crray Golden-rod. 



Whole plant clothed with a short dense grayish pubescence ; stem simple or branched 

 above ; radical leaves spatulate or obovatc-cuneiform, narrowed at the base into a petiole, 

 crenately serrate ; cauline ones oblanceolate, nearly entire, rather rough ; racemes paniculate, 

 dense, at length recurved-spreading ; scales of the involucre linear-oblong, rather obtuse, 

 appressed ; rays 6-9; disk-flowers 3 - 6 ; achenia pubescent with appressed hairs. — Ait. 

 Kew. (ed. 1.) 3. p. 213 ; Pursh, fl. 2. p. 537 ; Ell. sk. 2. p. 373 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 305 ; 

 Beck, hot. p. 190 ; Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 3; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 456 ; DC. prodr. 5. 

 p. 333 ; Torr. ^ Gr. fl. N. Am. 2. p. 220. S. hispida, Muhl. in Willd. sp. 3. p. 2063. S. 

 cincrescens, Schwein. in Ell. sk. I. c. 



Stem 1 - 2i feet high, terete, often considerably branched at the summit. Radical leaves 

 2-4 inches long and 6-10 lines wide, usually somewhat toothed, but often nearl}' or quite 

 entire, especially in the dwarf state of the plant ; cauline leaves tapering to a narrow base. 

 Heads of flowers middle-sized, very numerous and much crowded, collected into a more or 

 less elongated panicle composed usually of short (but sometimes rather elongated) racemes. 

 Scales of the involucre slightly ciliate on the margin. Rays rather short. 



In dry and sterile fields ; often scarcely a foot high. September - October. This very 

 common species is easily recognized by its grayish downy appearance and spatulate lower 

 leaves. 



