214 



Descriptive Flora 



This is accomplished by inserting a dry sliver of the pith, into the 

 cracks which leak. When this pith comes in contact with the 

 water, it swells rapidly and stops the leak. 



CARD TJA CEAE. Thistle Family. In Small's Flora. 

 Vernonia Undheimeri Engelm. & Gray. Ironweed. 



Leafy-stemmed plants, 1 to 2 feet high, tufted at the base, 

 each simple branch tipped with a broad cluster (2 to 5" across) 

 of purple flowers, each set in a conspicuously white, furry in- 

 volucre. Leaves simple, alternate, numerous. Flowers compo- 

 site, purple, consisting of about 10 to 16 tubular, 5-lobed corollas 

 and singly terminating white, woolly, leafless peduncles that ex- 

 pand into the slender, erect, bell-shaped, densely woolly in- 

 volucre. Achenes small, 8 to 10 ribbed, tipped by a tuft of pur- 

 plish hair-like bristles. Named for Vernon, an English botanist. 



Vernonia interior Small. 



Late flowering, leafy plants 2 to 4 feet tall, the few simple 

 stems branched at the top forming a broad-topped cluster (3 to 

 10" across) of bright, purple flowers. Leaves simple, alternate. 

 Blades elliptical to elliptic-lanceolate, toothed on the margins, 

 2 to 6 inches long, narrowed at each end, sessile. Flowers purple, 

 composite, about y% across, solitary on short stout peduncles, 

 and consisting of about 20 tubular, 5-lobed purple corollas. 

 Achenes tipped with a tuft of purplish, hair like bristles. 



Similar to Vernonia Undheimeri but taller, coarser, leaves 

 broader and involucres green (never white- woolly) . June to fall. 

 In the valleys of the Edward's Plateau Region. 



Eupatormm agemtifolium DC. Thoroughwort. Boneset. 



Spreading shrub with herbaceous branches and flat-topped 

 clusters of 10 to 20 white flowers blossoming from June to No- 

 vember. Leaves simple, opposite. Blades triangular to ovate, 1 

 to 3" long, coarsely toothed, tapering into a long tip. Flowers 

 composite, each flower being composed of numerous tiny, tubular 



