AMBROSIA CEA E. 909 



Receptacle chaffy, the linear or spatulate chaff enveloping the flowers. Marginal 

 flowers 1-6, pistillate, fertile, their ccrollas short, tubular or none. Disk-flowers 

 perfect, sterile, their corollas funnelform, 5-lobed, their styles undivided, dilated at 

 the apex. Anthers entire at the base, yellow, scarcely coherent with each other, 

 tipped with mueronate appendages. Achenes compressed, obovoid, glabrous. 

 Pappus none. [Named after Ajuga Iva, from its similar smell.] About 12 spe- 

 cies, natives of America. Besides the following, 6 others occur in the southern 

 and western U. S. 



Heads spicate or racemose, solitary-axillary, each subtended by a linear or oblong; leaf. 

 Heads solitary, pedicelled. 



Bracts of the involucre 4-5; heads 3-5 mm. high. 



Leaves serrate, oval or oblong ; eastern. 1. I./rutesce?is. 



Leaves entire or nearly so, obovate or oblong; western. 



2. /. axillaris. 

 Bracts of the involucre 6-9 ; heads 6-8 mm. high ; southeastern. 



3. I. imbricata. 

 Heads spicate; leaves dentate. 4. /. cilia ta. 



Heads spicate-paniculate, not subtended by leaves. 5. /. xanthiifolia. 



1. Iva frutescens L. Marsh Elder. High-water Shrub. (I. F. f. 3586.) 

 Perennial, shrubby or herbaceous, somewhat fleshy; stem minutely pubescent, or 

 sometimes glabrous below, 9-35 dm. high. Leaves oval, oblong, or oblong- lanceo- 

 late, all the lower ones opposite, short-petioled, 3 -nerved, acute or obtusish, serrate, 

 narrowed at the base, the lower 10-15 cm. long, 3-5 cm. wide, the upper smaller 

 and narrower, passing gradually into those of the racemose inflorescence, which are 

 much longer than the short-pedicelled heads ; involucre depressed-hemispheric, its 

 bracts orbicular-obovate, separate; fertile flowers about 5, their corollas tubular. 

 Along salt marshes and on muddy seashores, N. H. to Fla. and Tex. July-Sept. 



2. Iva axillaris Pursh. Small-flowered Marsh Elder. (I. F. f. 3587.) 

 Perennial by woody roots; stems herbaceous, ascending, glabrous or sparingly 

 pubescent, simple or branched, 3-6 dm. high. Leaves sessile, entire or very nearly 

 so, obtuse, faintly 3-nerved, obovate, oblong, or linear-oblong, 1-4 cm. long, thick, 

 somewhat fleshy, glabrous or pubescent, the lower opposite, the upper alternate 

 and smaller, passing gradually into those of the inflorescence; heads mostly solitary 

 in the axils of the leaves, 4-6 mm. broad, short-peduncled; involucre hemispheric, 

 about 3 mm. high, its bracts about 5, connate at the base; pistillate flowers 4 or 5, 

 their corollas tubular. In saline or alkaline soil, N. W. Terr, to S. Dak., Neb., 

 X. Mex., Br. Col. and Cal. May-Sept. 



3. Iva imbricata Walt. Seacoast Marsh Elder. (I. F. f. 3588.) Peren- 

 nial by woody roots, glabrous or nearly so throughout, fleshy; stem 3-6 dm. high, 

 >imple, or sparingly branched. Leaves all but the lowest alternate, sessile, oblong- 

 spatulate, or lanceolate, obtusish, mucronulate, entire, or rarely serrate, obscurely 

 3-nerved, the larger 3-5 cm. long, 6-10 mm. wide; heads short-peduncled or nearly 

 sessile, the upper ones longer than their subtending leaves; involucre broadly cam- 

 panulate, its bracts 6-9, not united, somewhat imbricated in 2 series; fertile flowers 

 2-4. their corollas tubular, the staminate ones much more numerous. On sandy 

 seashores, Va. and N. Car. to Fla. and La. July-Oct. 



4. Iva ciliata Willd. Rough Marsh Elder. (I. F. f. 3589.) Annual, 

 hispid-pubescent; stem simple, or branched, 6-20 dm. high. Leaves nearly all 

 opposite, ovate, petioled, scarcely fleshy, puberulent beneath, acuminate at the 

 apex, abruptly or gradually narrowed at the base, coarsely and irregularly dentate, 

 3-nerved, the lower 10-12 cm. long; upper leaves linear-lanceolate, hispid, squar- 

 rose, much longer than the heads; heads about 2 mm. broad; bracts of the involucre 

 3-5, distinct or united below; hispid ; fertile flowers 3-5, their corollas slender; 

 staminate flowers 10-15. * n m °i st soil. 111. to Neb., La. and N. Mex. Aug. -Oct. 



5. Iva xanthiifolia (Fresen.) Nutt. Burweed Marsh Elder. (I. F. 

 f. 3590.) Annual; stem much branched, pubescent or puberulent above, glabrous 

 below, 1-2 m. high. Leaves nearly all opposite, broadly ovate, long-petioled, 

 acuminate at the apex, abruptly or gradually contracted at the base, coarsely and 

 irregularly dentate, pale and canescent or puberulent beneath, rough ish above, 3- 

 ribbed; inflorescence spicate-paniculate, terminal and axillary, ample, naked ; heads 

 sessile or minutely peduncled, less than 2 mm. broad; bracts of the involucre in 2 



