COMPOSITE. 167 



Aciienia oblong, silky-hairy. Pappus of copious capillary 

 bristles. — Perennial plants with straight stems, narrow 1 to 3 

 nerved, rather rigid entire leaven, often clotted, and flower* 

 with purple or pale rays, and a yellow disk. 



1. G. IIYSSOPIFOLTA, Nccs. Hyssopdeavcd Galatella. 



Stem erect, corymbose at the summit ; loiocr leaves lanceolate-linear, acute, dotted^ 

 entire, rough, S-nervcd ; branch leaves linear-subulate, 1-ncrved; involucre scales acu- 

 tish; rays elongated. 



Sand; fields and open woods. Aug. — Oct. Stem 1 to 2 feet high, smooth, with 

 spreading branches, terminated with a single head. L'oys 5 to 10, white or pal* 

 purple. The G. linrfolia of Nees is perhaps only a variety of this species. 



11. ERIGERON, Linn. Fleabane. 



Gr. ex, Vic spring, and geron. an old man ; because it is hoary early in the season. 



Heads many-flowered, mostly hemispherical ; the ray 

 flowers numerous, very narrow, pistillate ; those of the disk 

 tubular, perfect. Scales of the invloucre narrow, nearly- 

 equal and almost in a single row. RECEPTACLE naked, flat. 

 Aoiienia flattened, usually pubescent and 2-nerved. Pap- 

 pus mostly simple. — Herbs with alternate leaves, mostly ses- 

 sile, entire or toothed, and solitary or corymbed Jlowers with 

 white or purple rays. 



* Eayi ft t exceeding the dish: 



1. E. canadensis, L. Horse-weed. Better-weed. 



Bristly hairy; stem erect, wantl-like; leave:- linear or lance-linear, mostly entire 

 ciliate, lower sometimes serrate; heads small, very numerous, raiicled ; rays crow 

 ded, scarcely longer than the cylindric involucre. 



Field.-- aid waste places, very common. July — Nov. A common annual weed of 

 no beauty, growing cverywh fro, from o inches to fi feet high., mostly very hairy. 

 Leaves wry narrow with rocg t edge?. Flowers small, white, of mean appearance* 

 irregularly racemose u; on il c branches, and forming a large oblong panicle. The 

 plant varies greatly in siie. according to the soir. 



* * Bays longer thaa V,e dUk. 



2. E. bellidifglium, Muhl. Robin's Plantain. 



Ilniry ; radical leaves olovate and i patulate, sparingly toothed ; stem-leaves sessilf ; 

 distant, lance-oblong, partly clasping, entire; heads few, large, corymbose; rays 50 

 to KO, twice as long as the involucre. Perennial. 



Shady woods and moist tanks, common. May. Stem 1 to 2 feet high, producing 

 offsets from the base, rather naked above, bearing 1 to 9 large heads, on slender 

 peduncles. Leaves 2 to 3 irtches by l /, to % mostly widest above the middle. Hays 

 hluish-purplo sometimes near); wh.te. 



3. E. PlllLADELPHlCUM, L. Philadelphia Fleabane. 



Ilairy; stem, leafy ; low leaves wedge-obevate, sometimes obtusely serrate or in- 

 eiscly toothed ; upper clasping, usually entire; heads few, on elongated peduncle*; 

 rays very numerous, 150 to 20Lb Perennial. 



Woods and fields, common. Aug., Sept. Stem slender, 1 to 3 feet high, lcorerj 

 corymbed at the summit, bearing several small heads. Leavts 2 to 4 inebcslong hf 

 % to 54 wide. Mays reudish-purple or tlesh-colored, very narrow. 



