222 COMPOSITE. (composite family.) 



78. Nabalns. Involucre cylindrical, of 5 - 14 linear equal scales in a single row and a few 



little scales at base, 5 - many-flowered : corolla whitish, cream-color, or purplish. Ache- 

 nia rather short and blunt. Pappus of very copious tawny or brown roughish bristles. 



79. Lygodesmia. InTolucre as the preceding, 5 - 10-flowered : corolla rose-purple. Ache- 



nia long and slender, tapering at the summit. Pappus of copious whitish bristles. 

 «- -<- Achenia terete or nearly so, ribbed, roughish above, abruptly slender-beaked. Pappus 

 soft, fine, and flaccid. Involucre cylindrical, of several linear scales in a single row and 

 some small short ones at the base. Corolla yellow. 



80. Chondrilla. Involucre few-flowered. Pappus white. Stems branching, leafy. 



81. Pyrrhopappns. Involucre many-flowered. Pappus reddish or rusty. Stems 



branching, leafy below. 



82. Taraxacum. Involucre many-flowered. Pappus whitish. Scape naked, simple. 



h- h- +- Achenia flat or flattish. Involucre somewhat imbricated, mostly many -flowered. 



83. Lactuca. Achenia abruptly long and slender-beaked, very flat : pappus bright white. 



84. Dlulgedinm. Achenia flattish, and with a short and thick beak. 



85. Sonchus. Achenia flattish, beakless. Pappus white. Flowers yellow. 



1. VERNONIA, Schreb. Iron-weed. 



Heads 1 5 - many-flowered, in corymbose cymes ; flowers all perfect. Invo- 

 lucre shorter than the flowers, of many appressed closely imbricated scales. 

 Receptacle naked. Achenia cylindrical, ribbed. Pappus double ; the outer 

 of minute scale-like bristles ; the inner of copious capillary bristles. — Peren- 

 nial herbs, with alternate leaves and mostly purple flowers. (Named in honor 

 of a Mr. Vernon, an early English botanist who travelled in this country.) 



1. V. Noveboracdnsis, "Willd. Scales of the involucre tipped with a long 

 bristle-form or awl-shaped spreading appendage or awn ; in some varieties merely 

 pointed. — Low grounds near the coast, Maine to Virginia; and river-banks in 

 the Western States, from Wisconsin southward. Aug. — A tall coarse weed 

 with lanceolate or oblong leaves. 



2. V. fascieulata, Michx. Scales of the involucre (all but the lowest) 

 rounded and obtuse, without appendage. — Prairies and river-banks, Ohio to Wis- 

 consin and southward. Aug. — Leaves narrowly or broadly lanceolate : heads 

 mostly crowded. Very variable, and manifestly passing into No. 1. 



2. ELEPHANTOPUS, L. Elevhant's-foot. 



Heads 3 - 5-flowered, several together clustered into a compound head : flow- 

 ers perfect. Involucre narrow, flattened, of 8 oblong dry scales. Achenia 

 many-ribbed. Pappus of stout bristles, chaffy-dilated at the base. — Perennials, 

 with alternate leaves and purplish flowers. (Name composed of e\«pas, ele- 

 phant, and novs, foot. ) 



1. E. Carolinianus, Willd. Somewhat hairy, corymbose, leafy ; leaves 

 ovate-oblong, thin. — Dry soil, Pennsylvania to Illinois and southward. 



3. SCLEKOLEPIS, Cas. Sclerolepis. 



Head many-flowered : flowers perfect. Scales of the involucre linear, equal, 

 in 1 or 2 rows. Corolla 5-toothed. Achenia 5-ang]e<L Pappus a single row of 

 almost horny oval and obtuse scales. — A smooth perennial, with simple stems, 

 rooting at the base, linear entire leaves in whorls of 5 or 6, and a terminal head 



