202 coMPOsiTiE. (composite family.) 



merous, crowded in compact erect-spreading short racemes, firming a prolonged and 

 dense narrow or pyramidal panicle ; scales of the involucre linear-awl-shaped, ap- 

 pressed; rays about 10. — Sandy soil, Maine to Virginia and southward, near 

 the coast. 



7. S. Stricta, Ait. Very smooth throughout; stem simple, strict (2° -3° 

 high) ; leaves lanceolate, pointed, the lower tapering gradually into winged peti- 

 oles, partly sheathing at the base, minutely seirate above with appressed teeth ; 

 racemes much crowded and appressed in a dense wand-like panicle ; scales of the 

 involucre linear-oblong, obtuse; rays 5-6, small. — Peatbogs, Maine to Wis- 

 consin and northward. Koot-leaves 6'-10' long. It flowers earlier than its 

 allies, beginning in July. 



H- H- Heads rather large, at least fir the size of the plant. 



8. S. speciosa, Nutt. Stem stout (3° -6° high), smooth ; leaves thickish, 

 smooth with rough margins, oval or ovate, slightly serratp, the uppei-most oblong- 

 lanceolate, the lower contracted into a margined petiole ; heads somewhat 

 crowded in numerous erect racemes, forming an ample pyramidal or thyrsiform pan- 

 icle; peduncles and pedicels rough-hairy ; scales of the cylindrical involucre 

 oblong, obtuse; rays about 5, large. — Var. angustIta is a dwarf form, with 

 the racemes short and clustered, foiTning a dense interrupted or compound 

 spike. — Copses, Massachusetts to "Wisconsin and southward. — A very hand- 

 some species ; the lower leaves 4' - 6' long and 2' - 4' wide in the larger forms. 



9. S. Virga-aurea, L. Pubescent or nearly glabrous ; stan low (6' - 18' 

 high) and simple ; leaves lanceolate or dblanceolate, or the lowest spattdate or elliptical' 

 ohovate and petioled, seirate with small appressed teeth or nearly entire; racemes 

 thyrsoid or simple, naiTow; scales of the involucre lanceolate or linear, acute; 

 rays 8-12. — An extremely variable species in the Old "World and in our north- 

 em regions. (Eu.) 



"Var. alpina, Bigel. Dwarf {l'-8' high), with few (1 -12) pretty large 

 heads (3" -4" long, becoming smaller as they increase in number); leaves 

 thickisli, mostly smooth ; scales of the involucre lanceolate, acute or acutish ; 

 rays about 12. — Alpine region of the mountains of Maine, New Hampshu'e, 

 and New York ; and shore of Lake Superior. 



Var. htllllilis. Low (6' -12' high) and smooth, bearing several or nu- 

 merous loosely thyrsoid smaller heads, which, with the peduncles, &cf, are 

 mostly somewhat glutinous ; scales of the involucre obtuse ; rays 6-8, short ; 

 leaves varying from narrowly lanceolate and nearly entire to oblanceolate and 

 sen-ate. (S. hnmilis, Pursh, Torr. ^ Gr.) — Rocky banks, "W. Vermont, Lakes 

 Huron and Superior, and northward. At the base of the "White Mountains of 

 New Hampshire, on gravelly banks of streams, occurs a fonn, v/ith the mi- 

 nutely pubescent stout stem l°-2° high, the leaves larger and broader, and 

 the heads very numerous in an ample compound raceme ; the rays occasionally 

 almost white. ~ 



10. S. thyrsoidea, E. Meyer. Stem stout (\°-¥' high), loand-llke, pu- 

 bescent near the summit, simple ; leaves thin, ovate, iircgvlarly and coarsely ser- 

 rate with sharp salient teeth, large (l'-4' long), all but the uppermost abruptly 

 contracted into long and margined petioles; heads large (5" -6" long), many- 



