292 THE COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



VI. GOIiDENROD. SOLIDAGO. 



Herbs, usually tall, perennial, and leafy, with numerous rather small, 

 yellow, radiate flower-lieads. Involucres imbricate, in few rows. Recep- 

 tacle without scales. Outer florets hgulate and few, inner ones tubular, all 

 yeUow. Style and anthers of Aster. Achenes cylindrical, with a pappus 

 of many simple hairs. 



A considerable North American genus, with a single species spreading 

 over central and noi'tliern Asia and Europe. It differs from Aster in the 

 yellow rays and cylindrical achenes, from Inula in the fewer ligulate florets, 

 besides the microscopical but constant character derived from the tailless 

 anthers. 



1. Common Goldenrod. Solidag'o Virga-aurea, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 301.) 



Stock more or less tufted. Stems erect, stiff, nearly simple, 6 inches to 

 2 feet high, glabrous or minutely downy. Radical leaves obovate and 

 stalked, stem-leaves oblong or lanceolate, slightly toothed, sliortly tapering 

 at the base. Flower-heads crowded in a narrow-oblong terminal panicle 

 often leafy at the base, not large, of a bright yellow, each with a spreading 

 ray of about 10 or 12 florets, and about twice that number of tubular ones 

 iu the disk. 



In woods, very common throughout Europe, and central and Russian 

 Asia, and northern America, to the Arctic regions. Abundant in Britain. 

 Fl. summer and autumn. 



Several North American species have been long cultivated in our flower- 

 gardens, and among them the 8. lanceolata is said to have occasionally 

 established itself m theh* vicinity. 



VII. ZNUIiE. INULA. 



Herbs, usually erect, with alternate, entire or toothed leaves. Flower- 

 heads in terminal corymbs or panicles, or rarely solitaiy. Involucral 

 bracts imbricated in several rows. Florets aU yeUow, the outer rows hgu- 

 late and radiatmg, or rarely short and concealed by the involucre ; those of 

 the disk tubular. Receptacle without scales. Achenes cylindrical or an- 

 gular, with a pappus of many hairs. Anthers tipped at the lower end by 

 two minute hair-like points called taih. 



A numerous European and north Asiatic genus, technically distinguished 

 from Goldenrod by the tails of the anthers ; but these, though constant, 

 are so minute as not to be seen without a careful dissection and good mag- 

 nifier. The florets of the ray are also very numerous and narrow ui Inule, 

 much fewer and broader in Goldenrod. 



rlower-heads very large, with broadly ovate involncral bracts ... 1. Elecampane I. 

 Flower-heads less than an inch in diameter. Involucral bracts narrow, 

 Kays considerably longer than the involucre. 



Glabrous plants, with narrow, thick, succulent leaves .... 2. Samphire I. 

 DoAvny plant, with flat, ovate or oblong, stem-clasping leaves . . 4. Common I. 

 Eays very minute, concealed by the involucre, or scarcely longer. 



Tail perennial. Flower-heads ovoid, in dense corymbs .... 3. Rigid I. 

 Annual, scarcely a foot high. Flower-heads broad, softly downy, 



in a loose, leafy corymb 5. Small I. 



I 



