ON THE GENUS ERIOGONUM. 29 



§. 1. Caule erecto dichotomo; folm verticillatis* 

 1. Tomentosum, Mich. E. Caule dichotomo, nodoso; 

 glomeruUsfiorireris terminalibus axillaribusqiie; involucris 

 cylindraceo-campaiuilatis, angulatis, solitariis, sessilibiis; 

 calicibus fructiferis valde inaequalibus, extus villosiuscu- 

 lis; seminibus angulis acutis; foliis subternis, supremis 

 connatis, oblongo-ovalibus, supra glabris subtus ferrugi- 

 neo tomentosis; involucris receptaculis plumoso-piliferis- 

 Descnption, Root fusiform, perpendicular, rarely divi- 

 ded below, nearly destitute of fibres, of a britde consis- 

 tence, and of a brownish red colour, sensibly, bitter and 

 astringent to the taste. Stem herbaceous, cylindric 

 somewhat tomentose, obsoletely striate, of a rigid and 

 almost woody texture. Branches dichotomous, erect, 

 subdivided 7 or 8 times. Radical Leaves petiolate, al- 

 ternately disposed upon the caudex, rather long, oblong 

 obovate, obtuse, somewhat coriaceous, opaque, smooth 

 on the upper surface, covered with a short and dense fer- 

 ruginous white tomentum on the under side. Leaves of 

 the stem verticillate, mostly by threes, rarely by fours, al- 

 most connate at the base, seated around the joints of the 

 stem, generally of an oblong- oval figure, destitute of sti- 

 pulas, decreasing in size towards the summit, they the^^ 

 become ovate lanceolate and acute, and more distinctly 

 growing together at their common base form a general in- 

 volucrum to the fasciculi of flowers. Inflorescence, flov/- 

 ers disposed in dichotomous terminal panicles, several (15 

 to 20) produced (after the manner of compound flowers) 

 in a partial campanulate involucrum or involucellum, 

 each seated upon arsmooth, recurved setaceous pedicel, 

 articulated to the tubular base of the calyx, Livolu- 

 crinn sessile, solitary, generally terminal, sometimes in the 

 angle of the dichotomous Sower branches (in specimens 



