466 COMPOSITAE. 



close and Bomewhal glandular indument, the stems vdllous-tomentose below 

 tufted, erect and Buffrutescent, 7 to L5 in. high; leaves broadly oblong in out- 

 line, serrate at apex, more deeply toothed at base, sessile, 1 in. long or less; 



heads in a dense terminal corymb, 4 to 5 lines high; bracts of the involucre 

 obtusely acute; achenes 3*angled ot somewhat flattened, pointed at base, rather 



Less than 2 lines long; pappus of rather rigid ami unequal bristles. — (Bigelovia 



vcneta Gray.) 



Subsaline plains of the lower Sacramento Valley. Var. verxonioides Jepson. 



Leaves entire, or serrulate at apex, ami commonly with fascicled ones in tin- 

 axils : Southern California; upper San Joaquin Valley; introduced at San 

 Francisco. 



84. SOLIDAGO L. Golden Rod. 

 Perennial herbs with alternate leaves. Heads small, the racemedike clusters 

 aggregated in a pyramidal or spikedike panicle or thyrsus, or in one of our 

 species the heads corymbose. Bracts of the involucre narrow, thin or char- 

 taceous, imbricated in 2 or more series. Both ray- and disk-flowers yellow. 

 Pappus a single series of scabrous and mostly equal capillary bristles, usually 

 dull white. Achenes terete or angular, 5 to 10-nerved. (Latin solidus and 

 ago, to unite firmly, certain species reputed to have wound-healing properties.) 



Stems freely branching, the flower-clusters more or less distinctly corymbose; leaves linear, 



entire 1. S. occidentalis 



Stems simple; the flowers disposed in a terminal panicle. 

 Heads small (1^4 to 3 lines high). 



Panicle mostly pyramidal; leaves serrate or entire. 



Herbage grayish 2. S. califomica. 



Herbage nearly glabrous 3. S. elongata. 



Panicle narrow and virgate; herbage glabrous; leaves entire 4. 6". sempcrrirens. 



Heads larger (4 lines high); heads in a spike like thyrsus; lower leaves spatulate, serrate 

 towards the apex 5. S. spathulata. 



1. S. occidentalis Nutt. Western Golden Eod. Stems 3 to 5 ft. high. 

 very leafy, freely and paniculately branching, the branches terminated by 

 more or less distinctly corymbose clusters of small heads; herbage glabrous; 

 leaves linear or nearly so, entire, sprinkled with clear dots; heads 2 to 2% 

 lines high; bracts of involucre chartaccous, linear-lanceolate; rays 16 to 20; 

 disk-flowers 8 to 14 ; achenes turbinate. — (Euthamia occidentalis Nutt.) 



Marshes, stream beds and river banks: Sierra Nevada; Sacramento and 

 San Joaquin valleys; Coast Ranges; Soul hem California. Aug.-Oct. 



2. S. californica Nutt. Common Golden Rod. Stem simple below the 

 terminal panicle, 2 to 4 ft. high; herbage grayish with a minute rough pubes- 

 cence; leaves oblong, acute ;it apex and tapering below into a short petiole, 

 the lower varying to oblong-obovate and serrate, the upper smaller, narrow 

 and entire; panicle usually compact, dense, not leafy, 4 to 13 in. long, made 

 up of raceme-like clusters (or when elongated, secund), seldom recurved at tip. 

 sometimes spreading in age; heads 2% to S 1 ^ lines long; bracts of the in- 

 volucre oblong linear or lanceolate, somewhat pubescent; rays 7 to 12, pale 

 yellow, about as many as the disk-Mowers ; achenes pubescent. 



Common ou dry plains and hillsides or in the mountains throughout Cali- 

 fornia. Bept.-Nov. "Orojo de Leahre" of t lie S] »a nisli-< 'a li f orn ia us. 



3. S. elongata Nutt. Stem about .", ft. high; wry leafy; Leaves almost or 

 quite glabrOUS, often bright green, oblanceolate, narrowed to a distinct petiole, 

 broadly oblanceolate, sharply serrate, except at base, or entire; panicle dense, 

 thyrse-like, the heads little if at all secund in the raceme like (dusters; heads 

 small, 2 lines high or less; bracts of the involucre thin, linear; rays 10 to 16, 

 narrow, usually more numerous than the disk Mowers. 



