COMPOSITE. (COMPOSITE FAMILY.) 279 



fag into a margined petiole; involucre (livid) \0-\8flowered, of 10 -15 very ob- 

 tuse proper scales, and several linear and loose exterior ones nearly half the length of 

 the former ; pappus straw-color. — Higher alpine summits of the mountains of 

 Maine, New Hampshire, and N. New York. 



6. N. virgatUS, DC. (Slender Rattlesnake-root.) Smooth, slightly 

 glaucous; stem simple (2° -4° high), prolonged into a naked and slender spiked 

 raceme (l|°-2° long) ; heads clustered and mostly unilateral ; leaves lanceolate, 

 acute, closely sessile, the upper reduced to bracts, the lower toothed or pinnati- 

 fid; involucre (purplish) of about 8 scales, 8 - 12-fowered ; pappus straw-color. — 

 Sandy pine barrens, New Jersey to Virginia, and southward. 



* * Involucre 12-40- flowered, hairy, as well as the peduncles. 



7. ~N. racernosus, Hook. Stem wand-like, simple (2° -5° high), smooth, 

 as well as the oval or oblong-lanceolate denticulate leaves ; the lower tapering 

 into winged petioles (rarely cut-pinnatifid, ) the upper partly clasping; heads in 

 clusters crowded in a long and narrow interruptedly spiked panicle; involucre about 

 \2flowered ; pappus straw-color. — Plains, Ohio to Illinois and northward. 

 Also Hackensack marshes, New Jersey. — Flowers flesh-color. 



8. N. asper, Ton*. & Gr. Stem wand-like, simple (2° -4° high), rough- 

 pubescent, as well as the oval-oblong or broadly lanceolate toothed leaves ; headi 

 (mostly erect) in small clusters disposed in a long and narrow compound raceme: 

 involucre 12 -1 4 flo wer ed ; pappus straw-color. — Dry prairies and barrens, Ohio 

 to Illinois, and southward. — Flowers larger than No. 7, cream-color. 



9. N. crepidineus, DC. Somewhat smooth ; stem stout (5° -8° high), 

 bearing numerous nodding heads in loose clusters on the corymbose-paniclea 

 branches; leaves large (6* -12^ long), broadly triangular-ovate or halberd-form, 

 strongly toothed, contracted into winged petioles; involucre 20 - 40 flowered ; 

 pappus brown. — Rich soil, Ohio to Illinois and southward. — Involucre black- 

 ish ; flowers cream-color. 



79. LYGODESMIA, Don. Ltgodesmia. 



Heads and flowers (5-10) nearly as in Nabalus; the cylindrical involucre 

 more elongated, and the achenia long and slender, tapering at the summit. 

 Pappus whitish. — Smooth, often glaucous, low perennials, with single erect 

 heads of rose-purple flowers terminating almost leafless or rush-like stems or 

 branches. (Name composed of Xvyos, a twig for wickenvork, and SVoyzo?, a bond, 

 from the twiggy or rush-like stems.) 



; 1. L. juncea, Don. Stems (1° high) tufted, branched, striate; lower 

 leaves lance-linear, l'-2' long, rigid, th3 upper awl-shaped and minute; heads 

 5-flowered. — St. Croix River, Wisconsin, T. J. Hale, and westward. July. 



80. CHONDRILLA, Tourn. Chondrilla. 



Heads few-flowered. Involucre cylindrical, of several narrow linear equal 

 scales, and a row of small bractlets at the base. Achenia terete, several-ribbed, 

 smooth below, roughened at the summit by little scaly projections, from among 

 which springs an abrupt slender beak. Pappus of copious very fine and soft 

 capillary bristles, bright white. — Herbs of the Old World, with wand-like 



