174 COMPOSIT.E. 



petioled, 3 to 5 inclios in diameter when fully gi'own, smoothisli above, 

 wliitish and tomentose beneath. Heads of flowers solitary, about three- 

 quarters of an inch in diameter, appearing in INIarch and April. 



Ilahilnl. — In wet places and along brooks. New England, New Yorlc, 

 and Pennsylvania, Introduced from Europe. 



J\irt i'se(/. — The entire plant, l»ut chiefly the leaves — not official. 



Const i'lufiit.'<. — Bitter and nuicilagiiio.is princnples, 



I'reimmtums. — It is commonly rmployed in decoction. 



Metfical /Properties and U>ies. — Coltsfoot is demulcent and slightly tonic. 

 It has been emj^loyed chiefly in chronic pulmonary diseases. 



ERIG ]]ROX. —Flea hane. 



Chamcter of the Order. — Heads radiate, many-flowered, mostly hemi- 

 spherical ; ray-flowers A'ery numerous, usually in more than one series, pis- 

 tillate ; disk-llowers tubular, perfect, the outer ones sometimes filiform and 

 truncate, pistillate. Scales of the involucre narrow, nearly equid, slightly 

 imbricated, in a single or double scries. Receptacle flat, naked. Achenia 

 flattened, usually pubescent, and with 2 lateral nerves. Pappus a single 

 series of capillary bristles, often with smaller ones intermingled, or with 

 an outer series of mimxte bristles or chally scales. 



Herbs, with entire, toothed or lobed leaves. Heads solitar}', corj-mbose 

 or i^aniculate. Disk-flowers yelL w ; rays Avhite, blue, or puri)le. 



Erigeron Philadelphicum rAnno {E. jjurjiureuni Alton). — riuladel- 

 2)Jiia Flcahuie, Common Fleabane. 



Dciicription. — Heads rather small, coi'ymbose ; rays vei'y numerous and 

 verj' narrow, pale reddish-pui*ple or flesh-color, more than twice the length 

 of the involucre, Achenia minutely hairy ; pappus simple. 



Stem hairy, slender, 1 to 3 feet high. Leaves numerous, thin, the 

 lower spatulate, crenate-dentate, the upper obhmg, clasping, and mostly 

 cordate at the base, entire or slightly serrate. It blooms in summer. A 

 (piite variable sjiecies. 



Habitat. — Woodlands and fields ; common everj'where. 



Erigeron anniium Persoon [E. heterophyllnm Muhlenberg, E. stri- 

 goaum Bigelow). — f/aisij Fleabane, Sweet Seabioux. 



Dei^criplion. — Heads corymbose ; rays very numerous, nearly or quite 

 in a single row, narrow, white or tinged with purple, not twice the length 

 of the involucre. Pappus double, the outer a series of chaffy scales, the 

 inner of scanty capillaiy bristles which are deciduous, or sometimes want- 

 ing in the rays. 



An annual or biennial herb. Stem stout, 3 to 5 feet high, corymbosely 

 bi'anched above, hairy. Leaves coarsely and sharply seiTate, the lower 

 ovate, obtuse, tapering into a margined petiole, the upper ovate-lanceolate, 

 acute and entire at both ends. It blooms in summer. 



Ilabitat. — Fields and waste places ; everywhere common. 



