396 COMPOSITE. Gnaphalium. 



somewhat terete, or more or less obcompressed. Pappus a single scries of slender rough 

 bristles. — Herbaceous plants, mostly woolly or tomentose, with sessile decurrent leaves, 

 and glomerate, corymbose, or spicate heads. Scales of the involucre variously colored. 



i} 1. EuGNAPHALitJM, DC. Pistillate flowers in several series: achenia somewhat terete. 



1. Gnaphalium decurkens, Ives. Decurrent Cudiceed. 



Stem branching at the summit, clothed with a viscid pubescence ; leaves linear-lanceolate, 

 partly clasping, decurrent, acute, glandularly viscid and roughish above, the under surface 

 (like the branches) whitish tomentose ; heads nearly sessile, in dense corymbose-capitate 

 clusters at the summit of leafy branches ; scales of the involucre yellowish-white, oval, scarious, 

 rather acute. — Ives in Sill. jour. \.p. 380. t. 1 ; Torr. compend. p. 288 ; Beck, bot. p. 178; 

 Hook. ft. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 328 ; DC. prodr. 6. p. 226 ; Torr. 4- Gr. fl. N. Am. 2. p. 426. 



Perennial. Stem about 2 feet high, stout, somewhat fastigiately branched above. Leaves 

 3-4 inches long and 3-5 lines wide, the margins slightly waved and revolute, pale green 

 above. Heads about 3 lines long, collected in large round clusters. Scales of the involucre 

 very woolly at the base. 



Fields and hill-sides ; common in the northern and western counties, and in many silualipflS 

 seeming to occupy the place of the next species. August - September. 



2. Gnaphalium polycephalum, Michz. Life Everlasting. Balsavu 



Stem erect, paniculate above, woolly ; leaves linear-oblanceolate, tapering at the base, 

 undulate on the margin, acute, slightly rough above, whitish and woolly underneath ; heads 

 ovoid, clustered in a terminal paniculate corymb ; scales of the involucre scarious, ovate and 

 oblong, rather obtuse. — Miclix. fl. 2. p. 127 ; Piirsh, fl. 2. p. 584 ; Ell. sh. 2. p. 325 ; 

 Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 200 ; Beck, bot. p. 178 ; Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 328 ; Darlingt. fl. 

 Cest. p. 494 ; DC. prodr. 6. p. 227 ; Torr. (J- Gr. fl. N. Am. 2. p. 427. ^G. obtusifolium, 

 Linn. sp. ed. 2. p. 1198 ; Willd. sj). 3. p. 1880. 



Annual. Stem 1-2 feet high, whitish-tomentose, often much branched towards the 

 summit. Leaves sessile, 1-2 inches long and 2-4 lines wide, light green above. Heads 

 sessile, nearly 3 lines long, yellowish-white, pretty densely aggregated in roundish clusters at 

 the extremity of the branches. Scales of the involucre mostly rather obtuse, smooth. Flowers 

 yellowish ; the perfect few. 



Old fields, dry open woods, and borders of salt marshes ; common, except in the northern 

 and western counties. August - September. The whole plant has a strong balsamic and 

 rather agreeable odor. An infusion of it is a popular remedy in dysentery. 



