344 COMPOSIT.E. Blennosperma. 



Grocidium, to which this anomalous genus is perhaps most related.) — Low and 

 small annuals, of two species, one Chilian, the other Californian. — Less. Syn. 

 267 ; Torr. & Gray, Fl. ii. 272 ; Remy in Gay, Fl. Chil. iv. t. 48 ; Benth. & 

 Hook. Gen. ii. 404. Apalus, DC. Prodr. v. 507. Coniothele, DC. 1. c. 531. 



' B. Californicum, Toer. & Gray, 1. c. A span or two high, at length diffusely branched, 

 glabrous or nearly so, with pedunculate heads terminating the iiranches : leaves alternate, 

 pinnately parted into narrowly linear usually entire lobes : heads a third to half inch in 

 diameter when expanded : flowers pale yellow, with ligules 2 or 3 lines long, or the alternate 

 ones sometimes destitute of corolla ; disk-flowers shorter than the involucre : style-branches 

 of fertile flowers broad. — Coniothele Californica, DC. i'rodr. v. 531. — Moist ground, Upper 

 Sacramento to San Uiego, California : fl. summer ; first coU. by Douglas. 



157. ACTINELLA, Pers., Nutt. (Changed from Actinea, from d/crts, 

 ray.) — Low herbaceous or rarely suffruticose plants (all American) ; the herbage 

 usually impressed-punctate and often resin ous-atomiferous, bitter-aromatic, gener- 

 erally Chamomile-scented ; leaves all alternate and narrow or with narrow lobes ; 

 the heads of yellow flowers commonly slender-pedunculate. — Pers. Sj'n. ii. 409 

 (Actinea, Jiiss. Ann. Mus. Par. ii. 425, t. 61, a S. American form, somewhat 

 approaching Helenium, but not to be combined with Cephalophora, which is a re- 

 duced rayless Helenium) ; Nutt. Gen. ii. 173, & Trans, Am. Phil. Soc. n. ser. 

 vii. 378 ; Torr. & Gray, Fl. ii. 381 ; Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. xix. 31. Hymenoxys, 

 Cass. Diet. Iv. 278 ; DC. Prodr. v. 661. Actinella, Hymenoxys, and a part of 

 Cephalophora, Benth. & Hook. Gen. ii. 413-415. 



A. (Plateilema) PXlmeri, Gray, Proc. Am. Acad, xviii. 109, xix. 31, is an outlying species, 

 of Northern Mexico, remarkable for its few and broad and nearly herbaceous involucral bracts, 

 convex receptacle, and truncate laciuiate palese of the pappus. 



§ 1. EuACTiNELLA. Involucre of numerous herbaceous or nearly membrana- 

 ceous (not rigid) nearly equal and similar bracts, distinct to the base : receptacle 

 obtusely conical or hemispiierical : heads mostly solitary on long or scapiform 

 peduncles, rarely sessile in the cluster of leaves : rays inclined to persist and turn 

 pale : akenes silky-villous : pappus of 5 to 7 hyaline paleaj. — Gray, 1. c. 



# Winter annual or at most biennial, caulescent, entire-leaved : receptacle conical. 

 A. linearifolia, Torr. & Gray. Slender, a span to a foot high, sometimes strict and nearly 

 simple, generally diffusely branched, villous-pubescent and glabrate : leaies linear or the 

 lowest somewhat spatulate: peduncles filiform, a s]ian long: liead 3 lines liigh: ravs 4 lines 

 long: paleie of the pappus ovate, abruptly acuminatc-awned. — Fl. ii. 383. Hipiifimnis 

 lliimriJUia. Hook. Ic. t. 146; DC. Prodr. vii. 243. — Texas and borders of Louisiana, in 

 sandy soil; first coll. by Drummond. (Adj. Mex.) 



* * Perennials, mostly with multicipital caudex, commonly lanato in the .ixils of the radical leaves. 

 ■\- Leaves except in one form of the first species quite entire, all on the ci'own.s of the candex, 

 whicii bear a siinple scapiform peduncle (or none): receptacle o.btuscly or low conical: involucre 

 villous-lanate : palcffi of the pappus hyaline from broadly o^•ate to oblong, mostly traversed by 

 an indistiuct costa. and usually produced at apex into an awn: well-formed heads 4 to 6 lines 

 high, and rays as long. 



''A. SOaposa, Nutt. In the typical form somewhat like the preceding in a.sjioct, especially 

 when leafy :ilong the base of the scape, Icjosely villous and glabrate, rather s]iarsi'ly c;vspitose, 

 the branches of the candex being sh iidor and" often ascending : lo:nes linear to lanceolate or 

 some of the earlier ones sjiiitulate, not rarely laciniate-lobed : scape a span to a foot high. — 

 Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. 1. <•. ; Torr. & Gray, Fl. ii. 382. C,i,l„il„phom (.l,7,«,V/o) sau>o!:a, 

 DC. Prodr. T. 663. Giiilhirdi,, ll,niin-i,niu, Schccle in Linn. xxii. 161. A. hmuijhuKii , 

 Buckley in Proc. Acad. Pliilad. 1861, 459. — Kooky prairies, &c., Texas to New Mexico ; first 

 coll. by Berlandier. (Adj. Mex.) 



