384 COMPOSITJE. Actinomeris. 



25. ACTINOMERIS. Nutt. gen. 2. p. 181 ; Endl. gen. 2530. actinomeris. 



[ Named from the Greek, actin, a ray, and meris, a part ; the heads being imperfectly radiate.] 



Heads many-flowered ; the ray-flowers 4 - 14, elongated or sometimes wanting. Scales of 

 the involucre numerous, foliaceous, nearly equal, mostly shorter than the disk. Receptacle 

 convex or conical, chafly ; the chaff" embracing the outer margin of the achenia. Achenia 

 compressed, obovate, mostly winged, flat, crowned with 2 nearly smooth persistent awns. — 

 Tall branching perennial herbs. Leaves alternate and opposite, ovate or lanceolate-serrate, 

 attenuate at the base and decurrent. Heads corymbose. Flowers yellow. 



1. Actinomeris squarrosa, Nutt. Squarrose Actinomeris. 



Stem pubescent, winged above ; leaves alternate, oblong-lanceolate, serrate, tapering at 

 each end, rough above, hairy or smoothish underneath ; heads in a loose corymbose panicle ; 

 scales of the involucre in two series ; the exterior linear-spatulate, reflexed, shorter than the 

 disk ; rays mostly 4 - S, irregular ; disk squarrose in fruit ; awns stout, much shorter than 

 the broadly winged achenium. — Nutt. gen. 2. p. 181 ; Ell. sk. 2. p. 413 (excl. /3.) ; Torr. 

 compend.p. 313 ; Beck, hot. p. 206 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 481 ; Torr. ^ Gr. fl. N. Am. 2. 

 p. 335. A. alternifolia, DC. prodr. 5. p. 575 (excl. 13.). Coreopsis alternifolia, Linn. sp. 2. 

 p. 909 ; Willd. sp. 3. p. 2257 ; "Jacq. hort. Vindob. t. 1 10." C. procera. Ait. Kew. (ed. 1.) 

 3. p. 258. Verbesina Coreopsis, Michx. fl. 2. p. 134 (excl. /3.); Pursh, fl. 2. p. 565. 



Stem 4-8 feet high, yellowish, somewhat winged by the decurrent bases of the leaves, 

 smooth below, pubescent above. Leaves coarsely serrate, with a long tapering base, but not 

 petioled, feather-veined ; the lower ones very large. Heads numerous, about as large as in 

 Helenium autumnale. Rays usually not more than 5 or 6, three-fourths of an inch long, 

 golden yellow, oblong, obtuse and slightly notched at the apex. Disk-flowers yellow ; the 

 limb inflated, longer than the tube. Branches of the style with a subulate-conical appendage. 

 Receptacle small, globose. Achenia brown and somewhat hispid on the sides, with a pale 

 broad waved margin ; the awns short and spreading. 



Borders of Crooked Lake, Yates county {Dr. Sartiuell). August - September. A variety 

 with opposite leaves occurs in the Western States. 



