COMPOSITE FAMILY 



The Purple Cone Flower is a coarse, sturdy plant of the type of 

 the familiar Black-eyed Susan or Cone Flower, Rudheckia hirta, 

 only larger, the rays dull rose-purple and reflexed. The blooming 

 season is long, the flowers effective; but the plant belongs with the 

 stiff, imyielding groups. 



LEPACHYS 



Lepachys pinntUa. 



Lepachys, Greek, a thick scale; referring to the thickened upper part 



of the chaff. • 



One of our native, perennial composites, now considerably used in 

 park planting. 



Stem. — Slender, hoary, with minute, ap- 

 pre.ssed hairs, three to five feet high. 



Leaves. — Alternate, pinnately parted; 

 leaflets three to seven, lanceolate, acute. 



Flower-heads. — Radiate, rays bright-yel- 

 low or parti-colored, drooping, two inches 

 long; disk-florets reddish -brown, tubular, 

 crowded on the receptacle. 



Involucre. — A single row of small, green, 

 spreading bracts. 



Receptacle. — Conical or columnar. 

 Pappus. — None or a short crown. 

 Akenes. — Flattened laterally, and mar- 

 gined. 



Lepachys is one of our Western com- 

 posites which is proving itself an ex- 

 cellent park plant. The flower-heads 

 are imusual in appearance for the rays 

 look as if poised for flight, ready to wing 

 themselves away at the first opportunity. From the tip of the 

 thimble disk to the last point of its drooping ray the flower-head 

 measures about two and one-half inches. The dark disk-flowers 

 creep up the column, and the great yellow rays wait till the last one 

 opens and then the season is over for that head. 



464 



Lepachys. Lepachys piimdta 



