PTiLORiA COMPOSITAE 389 



TRAGOPOGON 



culate ones, not rarely with two or three of intermediate length. 

 Receptacle quite naked. Achenes 5-angled or ribbed, sometimes 

 with intermediate ribs. Pappus a series of plumose bristles or 

 rarely chaffy awns, not rarely naked toward the base. 



P. tenuifolia Raf._ Atl. Journ. 145, 1832. Stephanomeria minor Nutt. 

 Perennial, 1-2 feet high, stems slender, branches ascending bearing nu 

 merous small heads of pirik flowers in long loose racemes: radical leaves 

 runcinate pinnatifid, those of the stem linear or filiform, entire, or some- 

 times runcinate-dentate, the uppermost reduced to small scales: involu- 

 cres narrow, usually 5-flowered with about the same number of linear 

 lanceolate scarious-margined bracts : pappus white, very plumose to the 

 base. Plains and mountains from British Columbia to California, Texas 

 and Nebraska. 



P. virgata Greene Pitt, ii, 130. Stephanomeria virgata Benth. Stems 

 rigid, 1-4 feet high from an annual root: lower leaves oblong or spatu- 

 late, often sinuate or pinnatifid ; upper leaves linear, small and entire : 

 heads 3-4 lines long, mostly subsessile or short-peduncled, spicately or 

 thyrsoidly disposed aloiig the naked upper part of the virgate stem or 

 smaller branches, sometimes more loosely paniculate on open branchlets: 

 itivolucre 4-8 flowered: achenes subclavate or oblong, rugose-tuberculate 

 between the narrow ribs : pappus moderately plumose to the base, white, 

 not paleaceous-dilated. Oregon and California. 



P. paniculata Greene 1. c. 132. Stephanomeria paniculata Nutt. 

 Stems erect from an annual root: a foot or two high, bearing numerous 

 narrow 3-5 flowered heads in an elongated, narrow or more open panicle, 

 or else more strictly disposed or virgate branches : leaves linear or the 

 lower lanceqlate : achenes subclavate or oblong, rugose tuberculate or ob' 

 long, rugose-tiiberctilate between the narrow ribs : pappus grayish or fus- 

 cous, its bristles short-plumose nearly or quite to the more or less paleace- 

 ous or squamelliferous base. Plains of Eastern Oregon and Idaho. 



P. exigua Greene 1. c. Stephanomeria exigua Nutt. Stems panicu- 

 lately and often divergently branched with slender branches and branch 

 lets, 1-3 feet high; radical and lower cauline leaves pinnatifid or bipinna- 

 tifid, those of the branches mainly reduced to short scales : heads scat- 

 tered : involucre 4-5 lines high, usually 5-flowered : achenes thick-ribbed 

 and tuberculate-rugose when mature: bristles of the pappus 8-18, their 

 more or less dilated and paleaceous or thickened base commonly a little 

 connate into 4 or 5 phalanges and often 1-3 setose on each side. Idaho 

 to eastern California and Texas. 



96 TRAGOPOGON L. Gen. n. 905. 

 Biennial or perennial somewhat succulent herfcs with alternate, 

 sessile and clasping leaves, and long-peduncled large heads of 

 yellow or purple flowers opening in the early morning, usually 

 closed by noon. Involucre cylindric or narrowly campanulate, its 

 bracts in one series, nearly equal, united at base. Rays truncate 

 and 5-toothed at the apex. Anthers sagittate at base. Style- 

 branches slender. Achenes linear, terete or 5-angled 5-10-ribbed, 

 terminated by slender beaks, or the outermost beakless. Pappus- 

 bristles in one series, plumose, Connate at the base, the plume- 

 branches interwebbed. 



T. PORRiFOLius L. Sp. 780. (Oyster Plant. Salsify.) Stems erect,. 

 3-7 feet high from a long fleshy tap-root ; leaves entire, linear-lanceolate, 



