COMPOSITE FAMILY 



COMPOSITAE 



WINGSTEM 



Actinomeris alternifolia (L.) DC. 



Not many members of this family have winged stems, con- 

 sequently this plant may usually be recognized by them, 

 plus the unlobed ray flowers. 



This perennial grows in rich 



soil, especially along streams and 



railroads, from New Jersey to Iowa 



and south to Florida, Louisiana and 



Kansas. The leafy stem, either un- 



branched or branched near the top, 



grows 4-9 feet high and usually has 



narrow wings formed by the bases 



of the alternate leaves which extend 



down upon it. The leaves are 4-12 



inches long, sessile or short petiol- 



ed, and rather rough on both sides. 



The lower ones are sometimes opposite 



and have narrow petioles. 



Numerous many-flowered heads 

 bloom in August and September. The 

 involucre is composed of a few narrow 

 spreading bracts, and the receptacle is 

 small and chaffy. There are 2-10 yellow 

 ray flowers, slightly toothed at the end 

 but not lobed. The disk flowers are also 

 yellow. The pappus consists of 2 smooth 

 awns. 



The White Wingstem or Crownbeard, Verbesina virginica L., is a 

 similar plant, differing mainly in its broader and rougher leaves, its 

 less fully winged stems and in its 3-5 white pistillate ray flowers. 

 The akenes are minutely hairy and winged or wingless. 



The Sunflower Crownbeard, Verbesina helianthoides Michx., has 

 a 2-4-foot stem, hairy and widely 4-winged by the sessile alternate 

 leaves which are toothed, rough above and soft hairy beneath. The 

 heads are solitary or few and broader than in the above species, being 

 2-3 inches across. The 8-15 yellow linear-oblong rays are pistillate or 

 neutral. The akenes are rough, broadly winged and topped by a 

 pappus of 1 fragile awns. This species frequents dry prairies and 

 thickets from Ohio to Georgia, west to Iowa, Missouri and Texas. 

 The flowering time is a little earlier than for both preceding species, 

 being June and July. 



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