356 COMPOSITE. Erigeron. 



Rays commonly wliite, but sometimes pale rose-color. Achenia slightly hairy. Inner pappus 

 of the ray usually wanting ; of the disk consisting of .'ew slender deciduous bristles : outer 

 pappus very short, sctaceous-squamcllate. 



Fields and meadows ; very common. July - September. Similar in its medicinal 

 properties to the preceding. 



Div. 2. ChrvsocomEjE, DC. Heads either heterogamous and radiate, or homogamous and discoid; 

 the rays and disk-fiowers yellow and unchanging. Receptacle never chaffy. 



11. SOLID AGO. Linn.; DC.prodr.b.p.^HO. goldes-ROD. 



[From the Latin, solido, to unite or make firm ; in allusion to its supposed vulnerary qualities.] 

 Heads usually small, few- or many-flowered; the ray-flowers few, or sometimes wanting; 

 those of the disk tubular, perfect. Involucre oblong ; the scales imbricated, appressed, 

 destitute (except in § 1.) of foliaceous or herbaceous tips. Receptacle narrov, mostly 

 alveolate. Appendages of the styles lanceolate. Achenia many-ribbed, somewhat terete. 

 Pappus simple, of numerous rough capillary bristles, — Perennial herbs, with sessile 

 alternate cauline leaves ; the radical ones never cordate. Heads in terminal or axillary 

 racemes or clusters, sometimes corymbose ; the pedicels often unilateral. Flowers yellow 

 (except in S. bicolo?-). 



^ 1. Chrvsastrum, Torr & Gr. Rays 12- lu, or entirely wanting : scales of the involucre with 

 squarrose herbaceous tips : pappus unequal ; some or all of the inner bristles thickened at the 

 apex : leaves large. 



1. SoLiDAGO SQUARROSA, Mulil. Squarrose Golden-rod. 



Stem smooth below, very pubescent above ; leaves smoothisli, spatulate-oblong, acute, 

 serrate ; upper ones sessile, lower narrowed at the base into a margined petiole ; heads (large) 

 in dense axillary glomerate racemes or spikes ; scales of the involucre minutely pubescent, 

 virith conspicuous recurved-spreading tips; rays 12 - 16; achenia smooth. — Muhl. cat. 

 p. 79 ; Nutt. gen. 2. p. 161 ; Torr. compend. p. 305 ; Beck, hot. p. 193 ; Darlingt.fl,. Cest. 

 p. 459 ; DC. prodr. 3. p. 337 ; Torr. 4- Gr. f,. N. Am. 2. p. 196. S. confertiflora, Nutt. 

 in jour. acad. Phil. l.p. 102; Hook. ji. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 4, not of DC. 



Stem 2-4 feet high, stout, simple. Lower leaves 4-6 inches long and 2 inches or more 

 in breadth, veiny, acute, rather thick, the veins and margin pubescent ; petiole of the 

 radical ones 2-3 inches long. Heads of flowers much larger than in most of the following 

 species, in rigid axillary clusters, forming a large leafy compound spike. Scales of the 

 involucre puberulent, ciliatc on the margin. Rays bright yellow, rather elongated. 



Rocky hill-sides, from the highlands of the Hudson north and west ; rare. August - 

 September. A well-marked species. 



