COMPOSITAE (COMPOSITE FAMILY) 553 
bracts nearly a half-inch long, linear, with a few short, pointed, 
spreading ones at base. Achenes oblong, with straw-colored pappus. 
Means of control should be the same as for Prenanthes serpentaria. 
GALL-OF-THE-EARTH 
Prendnthes serpentaria, Pursh 
(Ndbalus serpentdrius, Hook) 
Other English names: Rattlesnake Root, Lion’s Foot, Snake Gen- 
tian, Drop Flower, Cankerweed. 
Native. Perennial. Propagates by seeds. 
Time of bloom: August to October. 
Seed-time: September to November. ; 
Range: Ontario, New York, and Massachusetts, southward to 
Florida and Alabama. 
Habitat: Fields, pastures, fence rows, open thickets. 
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The large, tuberous roots of this weed are extremely bitter and 
once had the reputation of curing rattlesnake bites, whence its 
specific and common names; stem and leaves partake of the same 
quality, and, even when good forage is very scarce, grazing cattle 
will leave it unmolested to bloom and mature seed. 
Stem two to four feet tall, erect, smooth, often purplish, not 
glaucous, branched above, and usually somewhat spreading. 
Leaves rather thick and firm, the lower ones often six or eight inches 
long and most variable in shape; pinnatifid or palmately lobed or 
halberd-form or heart-shaped, usually with wavy edges or coarsely 
and very irregularly toothed, the petioles winged; upper leaves 
long-ovate to lance-shaped, often entire. Panicles rather large, 
loose, fork-branched, upcurved, the heads pendulous, chiefly in 
terminal clusters but a few in the upper axils; florets eight to twelve, 
pale purple or cream-colored ; involucre funnel-shaped, the bracts 
often purplish, usually somewhat bristly, spreading abruptly above 
the middle. Achenes yellowish brown, with straw-colored pappus. 
Means of control 
Prevent seed development and distribution by close cutting 
while in early bloom. Cultivation of the ground will destroy the 
tuberous roots. Small areas should be grubbed out. 
