COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



181 



11. HELIAN'THUS, L. Sunflower. 



[Greek, Helios, tlie sun, and Anthos, a jflower • from the resemblance of the flowers.] 



Heads many-flowered; ray-florets numerous, ueutral. Involucre imbri- 

 cated in 3 or more series, — the scales often foliaceous and spreading at 

 apex. Receptacle flattish or convex, and large, — the peri isteut chaff em- 

 bracing the akenes. Akenes laterally compressed or sometimes rather 4.- 

 sided, not winged or margined. Pappus of 2 chaffy or awn-like scales, 

 arising from the principal angles of the akenes, and often with 2 or more 

 intermediate smaller scales, very deciduous. Herbs, annual or perennial, 

 mostly stout and rough. Leaves opposite or alternate. Heads some- 

 what corymbose or solitary ; rays bright yellow ; disk-florets yellowish, 

 or sometimes purplish at summit. 



1. H. TUBERo'sus, L. Root bearing oblong tubers ; stem erect, branch- 

 ing, scabrous ; leaves ovate, acuminate, serrate, 3-nerved, scabrous, petio- 

 late, — the lower ones subcordate at base ; petioles ciliate ; scales of the 

 involucre lanceolate, hispid and ciliate. 



Tuberous Heliaxthus. Jerusalem Artichoke. 



Fr. Topinambour. Germ. Die Erdartischoke. Span. Cotufa. 



22oo< perennial ? (or rather appearing perennial, by the annual production oi tuberous 

 rhizomas ?) StemA-Q or 8 feet high, stout, branching, terete, hirsute. Leaves 4-6 or 8 

 inches long, very scabrous ou the upper surface, abruptly contracted at base to a narrow 

 cuneately-taporiug ma.Tgmed petiole, which is 1-2 or 3 inches long, — the lower leaves op- 

 posite (or rarely ternate), the upper ones alternate. Heads rather large. Akenes some- 

 what compressed and 4-sided, cuneate-oblong, smooth ; pappus 1-4 (usually 2) subulate 

 chaffy scales. 



Gardens and lots : cultivated. Native of Brazil. Fl. August - Sept. Fr. October. 



Obs. This Sunflower is often cultivated for the firm fleshy tubers, or 

 rhizomas, found at its roots. These tubers are pickled, and used as a 

 condiment. They have been commended, also, for feeding stock. It 

 may be remarked here, that in a rich mellow soil, they multiply so rapid- 

 ly, as to make the plant rather troublesome and difficult to keep within 

 bounds. The common name " Jerusalem Artichoke," is said to be a cor- 

 ruption of the Italian name for the plant — Girasol. 



2. H. an'nuus, L. Root fibrous, annual ; stem stout, nearly simple ; 

 leaves cordate and broadly ovate, petiolate ; heads subsolitary, very large- 



Annual Helmnthus. Sunflower. 



iS^feyn, 4-8 feet high. Leaves 6-12 inches lonr; and 4-8 inches wide, on petioles 3-6 

 inches in length. Heads of flowers 4-15 inches in diameter, flat, often nodding ; rays 1-2 

 inches long. Akemis obovate oblong, striate, somewhat pubescent, leaden-brown with 

 white margins and stripes. 



Gardens. Native of Peru. August -October. 



Obs. This species is often cultivated, and is somewhat naturalized in 

 gardens. A kind with the disk-flowers all developed as rays is common. 

 "Tlie akenes contain considerable oil, and it has been recommended to cul- 

 tivate the jjlant for the sake of this product ; the leaves and stems coo- 



