174 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



06s. This plant varies very mucli in size, according to the soil in which 

 it grows. On dry sterile banks it is very dwarf. It has disseminated 

 itself, more or less abundantly, all over our country, — and, it is said, all 

 over Europe ; and is a worthless weed, wherever found. Good farming 

 is the mode for smothering out such intruders. 



Pappus double, the outer row of minute scales ; rays conspicuous, white. 



2. E. an'mium, Pers. Stem sparsely hirsute, corymbosely branched 

 above ; leaves coarsely and sharply dentate-serrate, — the radical and 

 lower ones ovate, obtuse, tapering into a margined petiole, — the others 

 sessile, lanceolate, acute, entire near each end ; rays very narrow, about 

 as long as the sparsely setose involucre. 



Annual Erigeron. Flea-bane. Daisy. 



Root biennial? (annual, DC). Stem 2-3 or 4 feet high, rather stout, striate and often 

 angular. Radical leaves 2-4 inches long, roughish and hairy, with narrow-margined 

 petioles nearly twice as long as the leaves ; stein-leaves gradually smaller as they ascend. 

 Heads of florets rather small ; rays white, or sometimes tinged with purple. Akenes ob- 

 long, somewhat compressed, liirsute ; pappus whitisti, — the ray-florets destitute of pappus, 

 except a few short corouiform teeth at or near the summit of the akene. 



Pastures and waste places : Northern, l^Iiddle and Western States. Fl. June - July, 

 f r. August 



Obs. A frequent worthless weed in our pastures ; not particularly in- 

 jurious, — but conspicuous enough to attract the notice of the observing 

 farmer ; and therefore worthy to be known by him. 



3. E. strigo'sum, Muhl. Stem more or less strigosely hairy, corym- 

 bosely paniculate above ; leaves lanceolate, narrowed at base, nearly en- 

 tire, — the radical ones spatulate-lanceolate, tapering into a margined 

 petiole ; rays narrow, nearly twice as long as the minutely hispid in- 

 volucre. 



Strigose Erigeron. Flea-bane. Daisy. 



Root biennial ? Stem 2-4 feet high, sulcate-striate and angular, rather slender, and often 

 sparingly branched. Leaves 1-3 inches long. Heads of florets rather larger than in the 

 preceding ; rays white. Akenes oblong, angular or ribbed, sparsely pilose : " inner pappus 

 in the disk, of about 15 slender fragile and deciduous bristles ; in the ray none, or some- 

 times of one or two caducous bristles : the exterior a small setaceous-squamellate crown, 

 similar in the ray and disk." Torr. & Gr. 



Pastures and upland meadows : Canada to Florida. Fl. June - August. Fr. July - 

 September 



Ohs. This plant has a strong general resemblance to the preceding, 

 but is more common, — though they are usually both confounded under 

 the same popular names. This one is apt to be very abundant in the 

 first crop of our upland meadows, in Pennsylvania, after a course of grain 

 crops. After that — especially in good land — it becomes more rare,-— 

 being probably choked down by the grasses. All three of the species 

 are equally worthless, unwelcome weeds. 



