WILD FLOWERS OF NEW YORK 323 



at the apex, the margins crenately toothed, I to 6 inches long; lower stem 

 leaves lanceolate or oblong, usually deeply cut or cleft, the upper leaves 

 small, sessile and clasping the stem. Heads of flowers numerous, on slender 

 peduncles, forming an open corymb, bright golden yellow; each head one- 

 half to three-fourths of an inch broad and one-third to one-half of an inch 

 high. Ray flowers eight to twelve in number, linear-lanceolate; pappus 

 white. 



In wet meadows, marshes and swamps, Newfoundland to Ontario and 

 Michigan, south to Florida, Texas and Missouri. Flowering from late in 

 May to July or August. 



Swamp Thistle 



Cirsium muticum Michaux 



Plate 264 



An erect, biennial, prickly herb, with spiny leaves and smooth stem, 

 3 to 8 feet high, slender, leafy, striate and branching above. When young 

 the stem is woolly or hairy, becoming smooth when older. Leaves when 

 young, densely white tomentose on the under surface, becoming glabrous 

 when mature and then green on both sides, or somewhat hairy on the upper 

 surface, deeply pinnatifid into lanceolate or oblong, toothed, spiny seg- 

 ments tipped with slender prickles. Basal leaves petioled, 4 to 8 inches 

 long, upper leaves sessile and smaller. Inflorescence consisting of a solitary 

 or several large terminal heads of flowers, about if inches broad and as 

 high, on naked peduncles or the peduncles with a few small, bractlike 

 leaves. Flowers all tubular, and purple in color. Involucre of the heads 

 glutinous and webby, composed of closely appressed bracts, the outer 

 ones ovate or ovate-lanceolate, the inner linear-lanceolate, pointed and all 

 of them unarmed or without prickles. 



Common in swamps and moist soil, Newfoundland to Saskatchewan, 

 south to Florida and Texas. Flowering from July to October. 



