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RATIBÎDA columnaris; var. pulcherrima.
Painted-rayed Ratibida.
Linnean Class and Order. SYNGENESIA POLYGAMIA FRUSTRANEA.
Natural Order. COMPOSITÆ. Trib. IV. SENECIONIDEÆ. Subtrib.
II. H eliantheæ. Div. 2. Rudbeckieæ. Decand. prodr. 5. p. 491.
R A T IB ID A . Capitulum muitiflorum, heterogamum,'radio neutro i -seriali.
Achenia ancipiti-compressa, anticè membranaceo-alata, ciliata, apice in den-
tem acutum producta, disco epigyno magno. Pappus coroniformis, mem-
branaceus, brevissimus, ciliatus, persistens. Corolla disci subcylindracea,
5-dentata, dentibus revolutis. Antheroe semiexsertæ. Styli rami appen-
diculâ brevi cuneatâ papilloso-hispidulâ coronati. Involucrum 1-seriale,
oligophyllum. Rhachis cyiindracea, tota bracteolata.
Herbæ (Amer, bor.) perennes, foliis alternis pinnatifidis, capitulis solitariis,
radio ampio specioso, disco spiciformi atrorubenti.
Obs. Genus ab Obeliscariâ (O. pinnatâ) facllè dignoscitur styli ramis appen-
diculâ cuneatâ terminatis, achenio margine anteriore membranaceo-alato
cibato, pappoque coroniforml uniaristato.
R. columnaris.
Ratibida sulcata. R af. in journ. phys. 1829. p. 100.
Rudbeckia columnaris. Pursh, fi. amer. sept. 2. p. 57 5. Sims in bot. mag.
t. 1601. Nutt. gen.2. p. 178. Hook. f l. amer. bor. l.p . 311.
R. columnifera. F ras. cat. 1813.
R. Tagetes. James it. 2. p. 353. ?
Obeliscaria columnaris. Decand. prodr. 5. p, 559. ?
p. pulcherrima, radiis brevioribus i'ulvis margine apiceque luteis.
Obeliscaria pulcherrima. Decand. l. c. 5. p. 559.
The whole plant of a greyish green, and scabrous, with short, closely
adpressed, bristly hairs. Root perennial. Stem 2 or 3 feet high, slender,
rigid, wiry, angular, and furrowed. Leaves distantly alternate, recurved
and spreading, deeply pinnatifid, with linear or linear-lanceolate, mucronulate,
entire, conduplicate, channelled segments, of wliich the terminal one
is about twice larger. Capitula terminal, solitary, on almost filiform,,
naked, deeply furrowed peduncles, varying from a span to a foot in
length. Involucrum mostly of 5 equal, awl-shaped, pointed, keeled,
spreading leaves, about a nail in length, and disposed in a single series.
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