SU.XFLOWKB FAMILY. 567 



Var. Sonomensis (A. Sonomensis Greene). Scarcely distinct 

 from the preceding variety; slender, 1 ft. high, more glabrous; leaves 

 mainly radical, oblong-spatulate, attenuate into a petiole J to as long 

 as the blade, remotely serrate; cauline much reduced, sometimes 

 petioled, linear to lanceolate, those of the cymose panicle subulate- 

 lanceolate and closely ascending; heads solitary or few at the ends of 

 the strict branchlets; rays light pink to bright purple. — Subsaline 

 lands: Petaluma, Davy; Napa, Jepson. 



4. A. exilis Ell. Slender Aster. Erect, slender, glabrous, 

 mostly with a rather narrow panicle; leaves linear, 2 to 4 in. long 

 and 1 to 2 lines wide, or rarely some of the lower oblanceolate or 

 oblong and 2 to 4 lines wide, entire, rarely serrate, those of the inflo- 

 rescence lanceolate-subulate; heads 2 to 3 lines high; bracts linear, 

 acute, herbaceous, scarious-margined; rays light pinkish purple, 2 

 lines long; pappus fine and soft. 



Saline soil, not common: Tyler Island and New Town Landing 

 (Lower Sacramento); Stockton; Alvarado. Sept.-Oct. 



89. ERIGERON L. Pleabanb. 

 Perennial or biennial herbs with entire or toothed generally sessile 

 leaves, and solitary or corymbose heads. Disk-flowers yellow; ray- 

 flowers exceedingly numerous, pistillate, white or purple, the ligules 

 almost filiform, or in some species wholly destitute of rays. Involu- 

 cral bracts narrow, equal, little imbricated, seldom coriaceous or 

 green-tipped. Eeceptacle flat or convex, naked. Achenes flattened, 

 usually pubescent and nerved. Pappus more scanty and fragile than 

 in Aster, often with a distinct short outer series. (Greek eri, early, 

 and geron, an old man, "old man in spring.") 



A. Rays present. 



Annual; heads with inconspjcuous rays not surpassing the disk 



1. E. Canadensis. 

 Perennials. 

 Rays numerous, often 100 or more. 

 Leaves mostly entire; stem very leafy at base, the cauline leaves much 



reduced ; maritime . .2. E. glaucus. 



Leaves serrate, the cauline less reduced 3. E. Fhiladelphicus. 



Rays conspicuous, about 30 to 40 ; stems very leafy ; leaves linear or nar- 

 rowly oblanceolate 4. E. foliosus. 



Rays filiform, comparatively few and inconspicuous; sparsely leafy; leaves 

 filiform . . . .0. E. Setchellii. 



B. Rays none. 



Perennials; leaves narrow and less than 1 (or 2) in. long. 

 Stems decumbent; heads large, 6 to 8 lines broad. . . 6j £. supplex. 

 Stems erect ; heads smaller, 4 to 6 lines broad. 



Herbage glabrous; leaves filiform or narrowly linear 



7. E. angustatus. 



Herbage yellowish green; leaves linear 8. E. inomatus. 



Herbage canescent or rough-pubescent; leaves linear to oblong, often 

 narrowed at base. . . . . .9. E. miser. 



1. E. Canadensis L. Horseweed. Stems simple, erect, 2 to 5 

 ft. high; herbage hispid with scattered hairs or nearly glabrous, 



