(214) 
southern Texas is the only sheet examined from far beyond the Ozar- 
kian center. 
(vii) Species-group Altissimae 
Leaves lanceolate to ovate; inflorescence loose; heads 18-29- 
flowered; involucre rounded at base; scales closely and regularly 
imbricated. Three species of the Mississippi valley and the lower 
Appalachian mountains, extending south to the Gulf coast. 
$4. VERNONIA OVALIFOLIA T. & G. Fl. N. Am. 2: 59. 1841 
Vernonia noveboracensis latifolia A. Gray, Syn. Fl. : 89, 
partly. 1884. 
Erect, 8-12 dm. high; stem glabrous or puberulent, simple or with 
a few branches below the inflorescence; leaves elliptic-oblong to 
lance-ovate, 8-10 cm. long, 2-5 cm. wide, acute or very short-acu- 
minate, acute to obtuse or rounded at base, short-petioled, coarsely 
serrate, especially along the upper two-thirds, smooth or scabrous 
above, glabrous, pale and glaucescent, or a little puberulent on the 
veins beneath; upper leaves smaller, lanceolate or narrowly elliptic; 
inflorescence flattened, loose; heads sessile or short-peduncled, 18 
co) 31 
at the short-acuminate cuspidate tips; achenes strongly furrowed, 
short-hirsute on the ribs, 3 mm. long; pappus ele ae or rarely pur- 
plish, 6 mm. long, the outer series short but conspicuous. 
Type locality: ‘* Middle Florida, Dr. Chapman! es near Fort 
King, lr. Alden!” 
Distribution: from central Alabama through southern Georgia 
and into Florida. 
Vernonia ovalifolia is another variable species, exhibiting 
marked differences in the foliage without affording any valid charac- 
ters for separation of species. The preceding description is based 
on the type specimen from middle Florida and the following others: 
West Florida, Chapman; middle Florida, Chapman 277; Quincy, 
Florida, Chafman; Appalachicola, Florida, Chapman; Alabama, 
Uc Carthy. Harper’s 7737, from Cuthbert, Georgia, is also referred 
here, but differs slightly in the larger coarser leaves with less evi- 
dent serrations. In addition the following forms require special 
mention: 
. Stem 4-6 dm. high; leaves small, lanceolate, 7 cm. long, 1.5 
cm. 8 scabrous above, narrowed at base, with low sharp distant 
denticulations; inflorescence only 5-8 cm. across. The leaves are 
