356 DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES 



*ECHINOMERIA. 



Capitulum hemispherical, many-flowered, homogamous or heterogamous; rays 

 neutral, (yellow,) spreading, rather short, (about eight;) discal florets herma- 

 phrodite, with the border five-cleft, the tube contracted, shorter than the bor- 

 der. Involucrum in about three series, the sepals nearly equal, lanceolate 

 and discoloured, similar with the palea. Receptacle convex, alveolate, den- 

 ticulate, paleaceous, the palese lanceolate, carinate and embracing, acumi- 

 nate, and deciduous, about as long as the florets. Branches of the stig- 

 ma subulate, hirsute. Achenium tetragonal, compressed, crowned with a 

 minute, deciduous, chaffy pappus, two of the angles somewhat toothed. — 

 A perennial, opposite-leaved herb, with the aspect of an Helianthus. Stem 

 very hairy below, almost naked and scapiform above, one-flowered; capitu- 

 lum blackish-purple, mostly without rays, which, when present, are yellow. 

 (The name in allusion to its affinity to the genus Echinacea.) 



'Echinomeria apelala. Rudheckia apetala; (Yates and Torrey.) Nutt. in 

 Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., Vol. VII., p. 77. Helianthus apetalus; Le- 

 conte, in Herb. Schweinitz. 



Hab. In the pine bai-rens of Georgia, near ponds and pools. Perennial. Radical leaves wide- 

 ly ovate and short, sessile, somewhat hirsute, three-nerved and denticulate. Leaves opposite, 

 crowded towards the base of the stem, which is very hairy; the rest of the stem, for about two 

 feet, nearly smooth, and like a scape, almost leafless; one or two upper minute leaves linear and 

 alternate, a lower pair lanceolate, opposite and sessile. Capitulum hemispherical, resembling 

 almost wholly that of Helianthus atrorubens, but mostly without rays. Sepals in three rows, 

 nearly equal, lanceolate, acuminate, nearly smooth, dark purple, faintly three^nerve'd ; paleae acu- 

 minate, narrow lanceolate, mostly with a narrow, acute tooth on either side. Achenium with two 

 obtuse angles, rather rough, with pale spots, at first with the rudiments of four unequal, blunt 

 teeth, and an inner, irregular crown of pilose, minute, unequal paleae, all of which disappear with 

 the ripe fruit, when the two obtuse angles only present short, obtuse dentures. It is difiicult to 

 say whether this plant more resembles Helianthus or Echinacea, it is so entirely intermediate with 

 those genera; the aspect is that of the latter, but the paleae are not pungent, and the rays yellow. 



