Genus 8, THISTLE FAMILY. 367 
6. Lacinaria pycnostachya (Michx.) Kuntze. 
Prairie or Hairy Button-Snakeroot. 
Fig. 4182. 
Liatris pycnostachya Michx. Fl. Bor. Am, 2: 91. 1803. 
Lacinaria pycnostachya Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 349. 18091. 
_Hirsute-pubescent above, usually glabrous below, 2°-5° 
high, very leafy. Lower leaves linear-lanceolate, nar- 
rowed below the middle into a slender margined petiole, 
acuminate at the apex, often 1° long and 3’ wide, the 
upper much smaller, linear-subulate, rigid, punctate; 
spikes very dense, 6-18’ long; heads 4”-6” long, 3- 
6-flowered; involucre oblong or cylindric, its bracts 
oblong, pubescent and ciliate with acute, spreading, 
colored tips; flowers purple; pappus barbellate or 
roughened, scarcely plumose. 
On prairies, Indiana to Minnesota, Nebraska, Kentucky, 
Louisiana and Texas. Aug.—Sept. 
7. Lacinaria scaridsa (L.) Hill. Large 
Button-Snakeroot. Fig. 4183. 
Serratula scariosa L. Sp. Pl. 818. 1753. 
Lacinaria scaricsa Hill, Hort. Kew. 70. 1769. 
Liatris scariosa Willd. Sp. Pl. 3: 1635. 1804. 
Liatris squarrulosa Michx. Fl. Bor. Am.2: 92. 1803. 
Finely pubescent, at least above, 1°-6° high. 
Lower leaves oblanceolate, spatulate or oblong- 
lanceolate, narrowed into a margined petiole, 
acute or obtusish at the apex, often 1° long 
and 13’ wide; upper leaves linear or linear- 
lanceolate, acute, or sometimes very obtuse, 
- much smaller, all densely punctate; heads hemi- 
spheric, 3-1’ broad, 15-45-flowered, on stout 
peduncles 2”-2’ long, or sometimes sessile; 
bracts of the involucre imbricated in 5 or 6 
series, spatulate-linear, oblanceolate or obovate, 
rounded at the apex, appressed, their tips dry 
and scarious, often colored; flowers bluish 
purple; pappus barbellate. 
In dry soil, Maine to Florida, western Ontario, 
Manitoba, Nebraska and Texas. Consists of many 
races, differing in leaf-form and size of heads. 
Called also blue blazing-star, gray feather, rattle- 
snake-master, devil’s-bite. Aug.—Sept. 
j ‘ ee Ang} 
8. Lacinaria spicata (L.) Kuntze. Say " 
Dense Button-Snakeroot. Gay Wey Ay \ 
Feather. Devil's Bit. Fig. 4184. NY eg 
Serrulata spicata L. Sp. Pl. 819. 1753. \ Be Ase 
Liatris spicata Willd. Sp. Pl. 3: 1636. 1804. | 
?Liatris pumila Lodd. Bot. Cab. pl. 147. 1821. LV 9 
L. spicata Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 349. 1891. WT, 
Glabrous or nearly so, 2°-6° high. Lower 
leaves linear-lanceolate or linear-oblong, 
usually blunt-pointed, sometimes 1° long , 
and 5” wide, the upper linear or even subu- Peal 
late, somewhat or obscurely punctate; spike 
generally dense, 4’-15’ long; heads short- 
oblong or cylindric, 5-13-flowered, 2’-4” 
broad, mostly sessile; involucre subcam- 
panulate, rounded or obtuse at the base, Ne! ey 
its bracts appressed, oblong, obtuse and Wy 
scarious-margined at the apex, obscurely 
punctate, imbricated in 4-6 series; flowers 
blue-purple, occasionally white; pappus 
roughened or barbellate. 
In moist soil, Massachusetts to Florida, On- 
tario, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Louisiana and Ari- 
zona. Called also rough- or backache-root, 
throat-wort, prairie-pine, colic-root. Aug.—Oct. 3 
Lacinaria kansana Britton, of Kansas, differs in having a short, very dense spike, a more leafy 
stem, the involucral bracts purple and the pappus plumose. 
