COMPOSITE. (composite FAMILY.) 279 



ing into a margined petiole; invohcre (liTid) Ky-lS-Jtowered, of 10-15 very oB- 

 tuse proper scales, and several linear and loose exterior ones nearly' half the length of 

 the former ; pappus straw-color. — Higher alpine summits of the mountains of 

 Maine, New Hampshire, and N. New York. 



6. N. virg^tus, DC. (Slendeb RArrtESNAKE-BooT.) Smooth, slightly 

 glaucous; stem simple (2°-4° high), prolonged into u. naked and slender spiked 

 raceme (l^°-2° long) ; heads clustered and mostly unilateral ; leaves lanceolate, 

 acute, closely sessile, the upper reduced to bracts, the lower toothed or pinnati- 

 iid; involucre (purplish) of abmet S scales, S - 12-flowered f pappus straw*olor. — 

 Sandy pine barrens, New Jersey to Virginia, and southward. 



* * Involucre 12-^0 -flowered, hairy, as well as the peduncles. 



7. K. racem6sus, Hook, stem wand-like, simple (^''-S" high), anioofA, 

 as well as the oval or oblong-lanceolate denticulate leaves ; the lower tapering 

 into winged petioles (rarely cut-piunatifid,) the«upper partly clasping; heads in 

 clusters crowded in a long and narrow interruptedly spiked panicle ; involucre about 

 12-flowered ; pappus straw-color. — Plains, Ohio to Illinois and northward. 

 Also Hackensack marshes. New Jersey. — Flowers flesh-color, 



8. TS. ^sper, Torr. & Gr. Stem wand-like, simple (2° -4° high), rough- 

 pubescent, as well as the oval-oblong or broadly lanceolate toothed leaves ; heads 

 ( mostly erect) in small clusters disposed in a long and narrow compound raceme : 

 involucre 12 - li-flowered ; pappus straw-color. — Dry prairies and barrens, Ohio 

 to Illinois, and southward. — Flowers larger than No. 7, cream-color.' 



9. N. erepldlneus, DC. Somewhat smooth; stem stout (5° -8° high), 

 tearing numerous nodding heads in loose clusters on the eorymbose-panided 

 branches; leaves large (ff-iaS long), broadly triangular-ovate or halberd-firm, 

 strongly toothed, contracted into winged petioles; involucre 20 - 40-flowered ; 

 pappus brown. — Kich soil, Ohio to Illinois and southward. — Involucre black- 

 ish ; flowers cream-color. 



79. LYGODESMIA, Don. Ltgodesmia. 



Heads and flowers (5-10) nearly as in Nabalus; the cylindrical involucre 

 more elongated, and the achenia long and slender, tapering at the summit: 

 Pappus whitish. •^— Smooth, often glaucous, low perennials, with single erect 

 heads of rose-purple flowers terminating almost leafless or rush-like stems or 

 branches. ( Name composed of \vyos, a twig for wickerwork, and 8f o-^oe, a bond, 

 from the twiggy or rush-like stems. ) 



1- L. jlincea, Don. Stems (1° high) tufted, branched, striate; lower 

 leaves lance-linear, l'-2' long, rigid, the upper awl-shaped and minute; headg 

 5-flowered. — St. Croix River, Wisconsin, T. J. Hale, ^nd westward, July, 



80. CHONDBILLA, Toum. Chondkilla. 



Heads few-flowered. Involucre cylindrical, of several narrow linear equal 

 scales, and a row of small bractlets at the base. Achenia terete, several-ribbed, 

 smooth below, roughened at the summit by little scaly projections, from among 

 which springs an abrupt slender beak. Pappus of copious very fine and soft 

 capillary bristles, bright white. -^ Herbs of the Old World, with wand-like 



