184 COMPOSITE. (cOMrOSITE PAMILT.) 



2. EliEPHAMTOPUS, L. Elepiiant's-i-oot. 



Heads 3 - 5-flowered, clustered into a compound head : tlowers perfect. Invo- 

 lucre narrow, flattened, of 8 oblong dry scales. Achenia many-ribbed. Pappus 

 of stout bristles, chaffy-dilated at the base. — Perennials, with alternate leaves 

 and pm-plish flowers. (Name composed of ek^cpas, elephant, and jroCs, foot.) 



1. E. Carolinianus, Willd. Somewhat haiiy, coi-ymbose, leafy; 

 leaves ovate-oblong, thin. — Dry soil, Pennsylvania and southward. 



3. SCIiEROEEPIS, Cass. Scleeolepis. 

 Head many-flowered : flowers perfect. Scales of the involucre linear, equal, 

 in 1-2 rows. Corolla 5-toothed. Achenia 5-angled. Pappus a single row of 

 almost homy oval and obtuse scales. ■ — A smooth aquatic perennial, vrith simple 

 stems, rooting at the base, bearing linear entire leaves in whorls of 5 or 6, and 

 terminated by a head of flesh-colored flowers. (Name from o-kXt/pm, hard, and 

 XeTTi's, a scale, alluding to the pappus.) 



1. S. Verticillata, Cass. — Pine barrens, New Jersey and southward. 

 Aug. 



4. EIATRIS, Schreb. Button Snakeeoot. Blazing-Stae. 



Head several - many-flowered : flowers perfect. Scales of the involucre im- 

 bricated, appressed. Eoceptacle naked. Corolla 5-lobed. Achenia slender, 

 tapering to the base, about 10-ribbed. Pappus of 15-40 capillary bristles, 

 which are manifestly plumose, or only barbellate. — Perennial herbs, often 

 resinous-dotted, with rigid alternate entire leaves, and heads of handsome rose- 

 purple flowers, spicate, racemose, or panicled-cymose, appearing late in summer 

 or in autumn. (Derivation of the name unknown.) 



^ 1 . Stem usually wand-like and simple, from u. globular or roundish corm or tuber 

 {which is impregnated imth resinous matter), very leafy : leaves narrow or grass-like, 

 1—5-nerved: heads spicate or racemed: involucre well imbricated: lobes of the 

 cbrolla long and slender. 



* Pappus very plumose ; scales of the 5-flowered involucre with ovate or lanceolate 



spreading petal-like {purple or sometimes white) tips, exceeding the ftowej's. 



1. E. eleg:ans, Willd. Stem (3° -5° high) and involucre haiiy; leaves 

 short and spreading; spike or raceme compact (1° long). — Barren soil, Vir- 

 ginia and southward. 



* * Pappus very plunwse : scales of the cylindrical many-flcavered involucre imbri^ 



cated in many rows, the tips rigid, not petal-like: corolla hairy within. 



2. E. squarrosa, Willd. (Blazing-Stae, &c.) Often hairy (l°-3° 

 high) ; leaves linear, elongated ; heads few (1' long) ; scales of the involua-e mostly 

 with elongated and leaf like spreading tips. — Dry soil, Pennsylvania to Illinois 

 and southward. 



3. E. cyliinlracea, Michx. Commonly smooth (6'- 18' high) ; leaves 

 linear; heads few (^' -§' long) ; scales of the involucre all ivith short and rounded 

 appressed tips. — Diy open places, Niagara Palls to Wisconsin, and southwestward. 



