222 



COMPOSITE. (COMPOSITE FAMILY.) 



78. 



82 



84 



Nabalns. Involucre cylindrical, of 5-14 linear equal scales in a single row and a f»w 

 little scales at base, 5 - n>any-flowered : corolla whitish, cream-color, or purplish. Ache- 

 nia rather short and blunt. Pappus of very copious tawny or brown roughish bristles. 



JLy godesmia , Involucre as the preceding, 5 - 10-flowered . corolla rose-purple. Aehe- 



nia long and slender, tapering at the summit. Pappus of copious whitish bristles. 

 +- Achenia terete or nearly so, ribbed, roughish above, abruptly slender-beaked. Pappus 



soft, fine, and flaccid. Involucre cylindrical, of several linear scales in a single row and 



some small short ones at the base. Corolla yellow. 



Ghondrilla. Involucre few-flowered. Pappus white. Stems branching, leafy. 



Pyrrhopappus. Involucre many-flowered. Pappus reddish or rusty. Stems 

 branching, leafy below. 



Taraxacum. Involucre many-flowered. Pappus whitish. Scape naked, simple. 

 k +- -i- Achenia flat or flattish. Involucre somewhat imbricated, mostly many-flowered. 



L.actuca. Achenia abruptly long and plender-beaked, very flat : pappus bright white. 



Mnlgedium. Achenia flattish, and with a short and thick beak. 



Sonchus. Achenia flattish, beakless. Pappus white. Flowers yellow. 



1. VERNONIA, Schreb. Iron-weed. 



Heads 15 -many-flowered, in corymbose cymes; flowers all perfect. Invo- 

 lucre shorter than the flowers, of many appressed closely imbricated scales. 

 Receptacle naked. Achenia cylindrical, ribbed. Pappus double ; the outer 

 of minute scale-like bristles ; the inner of copious capillary bristles. — Peren- 

 nial herbs, with alternate leaves and mostly purple flowers. (Named in honor 

 of a Mr. Vernon, an early English botanist who travelled in this country.) 



1. V. Noveboraeensis, Willd. Scales of the, involucre tipped with a long 

 bristle-form or awl-shaped spreading appendage or awn ; in some varieties merely 

 pointed. -—Low grounds near the coast, Maine to Virginia; and river-banks in 

 the Western States, from Wisconsin southward. Aug. — A tall coarse weed 

 with lanceolate or oblong leaves. 



2. V. fascieulata, Michx. Scales of the involucre (all but the lowest) 

 rounded and obtuse, without, appendage. — Prairies and river-banks, Ohio to Wis- 

 consin and southward. Aug. — Leaves narrowly or broadly lanceolate : heads 

 mostly crowded. Very variable, and manifestly passing into No. 1. 



2. ELEPHANTOPUS, L. 



Elephant's-foot. 



Heads 3 - 5-flowered, several together clustered into a compound head : flow- 

 ers perfect. Involucre narrow, flattened, of 8 oblong dry scales. Achenia 

 many-ribbed. Pappus of stout bristles, chaffy-dilated at the base. — Perennials, 

 with alternate leaves and purplish flowers. (Name composed of eAe<£as, ele- 

 phant, and 7rovs,foot.) 



1. E. Car olinianus, Willd. Somewhat hairy, corymbose, leafy ; leaves 

 ovate-oblong, thin. — Dry soil, Pennsylvania to Illinois and southward. 



3. SCLEROLEPIS, Cas. Sclerolepis. 



Head many-flowered : flowers perfect. Scales of the involucre linear, equal, 

 in 1 or 2 rows. Corolla 5-toothed. Achenia 5-angled. Pappus a single row of 

 almost horny oval and obtuse scales. — A smooth perennial, with simple stems, 

 rooting at the base, linear entire leaves in whorls of 5 or 6, and a terminal head 



