COMPOSITE. (COMPOSITE FAMILY.) 243 



18. S. negl6<3ta, Torr. & Gray. Smooth ; stem stout (2°-3° high) ; leaves 

 thickish, smooth both sides, opaque; the upper oblong-lanceolate, mostly acute and 

 nearly entire; the lower ovate-lanceolate or oblong, sharply serrate, tapering into a 

 petiole ; racemes short and dense, at length spreading, disposed in an elongated or 

 pyramidal close panicle; peduncles and achenia nearly glabrous. — Swamps, 

 Maine to Penn. and Wisconsin. — Heads rather large, crowded ; the racemes at 

 first erect and scarcely one-sided. 



19. S. patula, Muhl. Stem strongly angled, smooth (3° -5° high); leaves 

 (4' -8' long) ovate, acute, serrate, pale, very smooth and veiny underneath, but the 

 upper surface very rough, like shagreen ; racemes rather short and numerous on 

 the spreading branches. — Swamps: common. 



20. S. arguta, Ait. Smooth throughout (l°-4° high); radical and lower 

 stem-leaves elliptical or lanceolate-oval, sharply serrate with spreading teeth, pointed, 

 tapering into winged and ciliate petioles ; the others lanceolate or oblong, slightly 

 triple-nerved, tapering to each end, the uppermost entire ; racemes dense, naked, at 

 length elongated and recurved, forming a crowded and flat corymb-like panicle: rays 

 8-12, small. — Var. 1. jixcea has the leaves narrower and less serrate, or all 

 the upper entire. — Var. 2. scabrella is somewhat roughish-pubescent (Wis- 

 consin, &c). — Copses ahd banks : common, especially the first variety. — Well 

 distinguished by its long or drooping racemes, and the closely appressed rigid 

 scales of the involucre, small rays, &c. But the name is a bad one, as even 

 the root-leaves are seldom much toothed. 



21. S. Muhlenbergii, Torr. & Gr. Smooth; stem angled; leaves (large 

 and thin) ovate, and the upper elliptical-lanceolate, very sharply and strongly ser- 

 rate, pointeel at both ends, the lowest on margined petioles ; racemes pubescent, 

 spreading, disposed in an elongated open panicle ; rays 6-7, large. — Copses and 

 moist woods, New Hampshire to Penn. — Racemes much shorter and looser 

 than in the last ; the involucral scales thin and more slender. 



22. S. linoldes, Solander. Smooth; stem slender, simple (10' -20' high) ; 

 leaves lanceolate, serrate with small appressed teeth, narrowed at the base, the 

 lower tapering into margined ciliate petioles, the uppermost oblong ; racemes 

 short, crowded in one or 3-4 small one-sided panicles (3' -4' long) ; heads small 

 and few-flowered; rays 1-3. — Bogs, New England (near Boston and Provi- 

 dence), to the pine barrens of New Jersey. 



•*-+-■*- Leaves broad, not large, sessile or short-petioled, coarsely and sharply serrate, 

 copiously feather-veined and conspicuously reticulated: heads small: rays short. 



23. S. altissima, L. Rough-hairy, especially the stem (2' -7' high) ; leaves 

 ovate-lanceolate, elliptical or oblong, often thickish and very rugose ; racemes panicled, 

 spreading; scales of the involucre linear; rays 6-9; the disk-flowers 4 - 7. — 

 Borders of fields ahd copses : very common, presenting a great variety of forms : 

 but instead of the tallest, as its name denotes, it is usually one of the lowest 

 of the common Golden-rods. It flowers early. Aug. - Sept. 



24. S. ulmifblia, Muhl. Stem smooth, the branches hairy; leaves thin, 

 elliptical-ovate or oblong-lanceolate, pointed, tapering to the base, loosely veined, be- 

 set with soft hairs beneath ; racemes panicled, recurved-spreadinj: ; scales of 

 the involucre lanceolate-oblong ; rays about 4. — Low copses : common. — Too 

 near the last ; distinguished only by its smooth stem and thin larger leaves. 



