156 COMPOSITE. 



flower of the older botanists) upon a common receptacle, surrounded by an involu- 

 cre. Calyx closely adherent to the ovary, the limb wanting or membranaceous and 

 divided into bristles, hairs, &c, c;illc 1 pappu*. C >n iI.lv sup -rior. consisting of 5 

 united petals cither liyulale (strap-shaped) or tabular. Stamens 5, inserted on the 

 corolla, their anthers united in a tube (synyenesious). Style 2-cleft at the apex. 

 Fruit abed-like (adtenium.) dry, containing a single, erect anatropous seed, with no 

 albumen. 



Sub-order I. TUBULIFLOR^. 



Corolla of the perfect or disk flowers tubular, regular, the limbs 5-cleft, or lobed ; 

 the I if/ a lata or r pistillate only or neutral (with neither 



stamens nor pistils), and occupying tfie U 



Tribe I. VERNONIACEJE. 



Heads discoid (without ray flowers); the flowers all alike, perfect, tubular ; 

 branches of the sty] <• . or brisfle-fcrm, acute, hairy all over, 



the stigmdtic lines only on the lower part, (corolla ofton slightly irregular). 



1. VERXOXIA. Schrcb. Iron-weed. 



In honor of Wra. Vernon, an English botanist who traveled in this country. 



Heads 15, many- flowered, in corymbose cymes. Flowers 

 all tubular. Involucre shorter than the flowers, of many 

 appressed closely imbricated scales. Receptacle naked. 

 Achexia cylindrical, ribbed. Pappus double, the outer 

 chaffy ; the interior capillary. — Perennial herbs, with alter- 

 nate leaves and mostly purple flowers. 



Noveboracensis, Willd. Common Iron-weed. 



Stem erect, smoothish ; leaves on short petioles, elliptical-lanceolate, pubescent 

 beneath: heads numerous, 20 to 30-flowered; scales of the involucre tipped with 

 along bristle-form or awl-shaped spreading appendage, or awn. 



Low grounds; common. Aug.. Sept. Stem branching at top, reddish, 3 to 6 

 feet high. Leaves crowded, paler beneath; root-leaves sometimes lobed. I 

 deep purple, in terminal flat -topped compound cymes. Scales purple, ending in 

 long thread-like fippend- r 



2. ELEPHANTOPUS. Linn. Elephant's-foot. 



Gr. elephas, elephant, andpous, foot. 



Heads 3 to 5-flowered, clustered into compound heads. 

 Involucre narrow and flattened, of 8 oblong dry scales. 

 Achenia many-ribbed. Pappus of stout bristles, chaffy, 

 dilated at the base. — Perennials, with alternate subsessile 

 leaves and violet-purple flowers. 



E. Carolinianus, Willd. Carolinian Elephant' s-foot. 



Stem branched, leafy, somewhat hairy ; leaves ovate-oblong, thin, obtuse, cre- 

 nate-eerrate; heads terminal and sub-terminal. 



