COMPOSITE. 203 



Heads 15 to 30 flowered. Involucre cylindrical. Scales 

 5 to 14, linear, in a single row, with a few small bractlets 

 at the base. ACHENIA linear-oblong, striate or grooved, 

 truncate at the apex. PAPPUS in many series of yellow 

 brownish, roughish capillary bristles. — Perennial lie. th 



spindle-shaped, bitter tubers, upright leafy stems, with variabi I aves 

 and racemose-panicled, mostly nodding heads, with grt9nisL white 

 or cream-colored flowers, sometimes tinged with purple. 



* Involucre, smooth or nearly se, 5 to 12-fiowcved. 



1. N. ALDUS, Hook. White Lettuce, Rattlcsnalcc-root. 



Smooth and glaucous; start tall; leaves angular-bastate or angulate, sinuate- 

 toothed, or 3 to 5-cleft ; the uppermost oblong and undivided ; racemes short, 

 paniculate; involucre with about 3 scales, 8 to 12-flowered. Yar. gerpcrdaria. if 

 a form with deeply divided leaves, with their margins often rough-ciliato. 



Woods and hill side^. in rich poils, common. Aug., Sept. Sttm'2 to 5 feet high, 

 simple or much branched. Heads numerous, in a loose corymbed panicle. In- 

 volucre purplish. Floicers white.. Pappus deep cinnamon-color. Ackeniu yellow, 

 Reputed as a reined}' lor the bite of the rattlesnake. 



2. N. altissimus 1 Hook. Tall White Lettuce. 



Smooth; stem tall and slender, Iranchcd; leaves nil petioled, undivided, or the 

 lower 3 to 5-cleft or parted; the lobes or leaves acuminate, repandly toothed or 

 denticulatj ; involucre slender, of 5 scales, 5 to C-f:owered; heads in small axillary 

 and terminal loose clusters, forming a long leafy panicle. 



Rich nioiit woods. Aug., Sept. Stem 3 to 6 feet high, erect. Leaves very 

 variable, sometimes cordate, deltoid or triongular-hastate, with naked or winged 

 p?tioles. Heads nodding with yellowish white flowers, Papjjus dirty white, or 

 pale straw color. 



3. N. Fraserii, DO. Lion's-foot. Gall-of-the-earth. 



Nearly smooth; stem erect, branched ; leaves mostly dcltcid, roughish; lower 3 

 to 7-lobed, on margined petioles; vxper nearly sessile and undivided; involucre 

 smoothish, of about S scales, 8 to 12-flowered; heads in corymbose panicles. Var, 

 infegrifolia has the thickish leaves all undivided and merely toothed. 



Dry sandy or sterile soil. Aug. — Oct. Stem 1 to 4 feet high. Leaves very varia 

 bit. Involucre greenish or purplish, sometimes slightly 1 ristly. Flowers cream- 

 eoior, sometimes with a tinge of purple. Pappus dull uraw-coior. 



6G. TARAXACUM, Haller. Dandelion. 



6r. taraklikos, cathartic ; on account of its once celebrated medicinal properties. 



Head many-flowered. Involucre double, the outer of 

 «hort scales; the upper of long linear scales, erect in a single 

 row. Achenia oblong ribbed prolonged into a long beak, 

 CTowned with the copious, white capillary pappus. — Acau- 

 lescent perennial herbs, with radical runchiate leaves and slender 

 naked hollow scapes, bearing a single k rge head of yellow flowers, 



1. T. Dens-leonis, Desf. Common Dandelion. 



Bmooth or at first pubescent; leaves unequally and deeply runcinate; outer b> 

 jrolucre scales reflexed. 

 TMturcs and fields, common everywhere. April— Oct. After blossoming the itj= 



