pie, lanceolate, serrate; raceme simple, of axillary clusters, the uppermost
capitate, crowded; involucre turgid, many-flowered. Michx. fl. 2. p- 117.
Mountains of Carolina, Micliaux.—With much hesitation we join to this
species a remarkable plant which we had called S. macrantha, collected in
flower on the Roan Mountain by Mr. Curtis, and which is also abundant
towards the summit of the Grandfather, N. Carolina (Gray, in Sill. joum. 42.
p. 35); flowering in August. It is one to 2 feet high, with a stout striate-
angular glabrous stem; with large, broadly lanceolate or obovate-lanceolate,
glabrous leaves, 4—9 inches long, the lower 2—3 broad, ciliate especially towards
the tapering entire base, serrate above with small sharp teeth, acuminate,
veiny, of a firm but rather thin texture; the radical tapering into a
■winged petiole. Heads larger than those of S. rigida, 3-7 together in short
racemes or clusters in the axils of the upper leaves, at first glomerate, hut
when expanded the pedicels (stout and pubescent, like the peduncles) are
often as long as the heads; the lowest dusters somewhat remote, the others
approximate, forming a narrow (sometimes thyrsoid) elongated panicle or
compound raceme, mostly simple at the summit. Scales of the involucre
imbricated in 3 or 4 series, 1-nerved, acutish; the exterior oblong-ovate, the
innermost linear-lanceolate, nearly glabrous. Flowers 30-40 in each head ;
the rays 10-12, small in proportion. Achenia pubescent towards the summit,
nearly glabrous below.—We know not what plant Nuttall had in view
as the S. glomerata, of which he remarks (Gen. 2. p. 161): “ Lower leaves
broad oval and acuminate, serrate : nearly allied to Aster.” Nor have we
been able to ascertain the species mentioned by Schweinitz (in Ell. sic. 2.
p . 387,) as “ distinguished by its deep and close serratures, and the capitate
form of the axillary racemes” : the latter, however, is probably S. latifolia.
* * * Heads in a compound corymb terminating the simple stern, showy: leaves featherveined
or 3-nerved.—Corymbosse.
t Scales of the involucre acute: achenia pubescent: leaves veiny.
27. S. spithamcea (M. A. Curtis! mss.): stem villous-pubescent, leafy;
leaves oval or oblong-lanceolate, ciliate, nearly glabrous, sharply serrate
above the middle, or the uppermost entire ; the lowest and radical spatulate-
oblong, tapering into winged petioles; heads (middle-sized) disposed in a
compound glomerate corymb; peduncles and pedicels villous ; scales of the
involucre somewhat equal, lanceolate, ciliate ; rays 6 or 7, short; achenia
pubescent.— Gray ! in Sill. jour. 42. p. 42.
Rocky places on the bald summit of the Roan Mountain, North Carolina
(at an elevation of 6000 feet); where it was discovered, in 1835, by Mr.
Curtis! Aug.-Sept.—Stems 8-10 inches high, growing in tufts from a
branching caudex. Leaves membranaceous, 1-3 inches long, rarely an inch
in width, irregularly and sometimes incisely serrate ; the uppermost acute;
the lower conspicuously ciliate along the entire narrowed base. Heads 25-
30-flowered. Scales of the somewhat hemispherical involucre appressed,
l-nerved, slightly carinate, with scarious minutely lacerate-ciliate margins,
acute or acuminate; the outer broadly, the inner narrowly lanceolate.
Rays scarcely exserted.
t t Scales of the involucre very obtuse: achenia glabrous: leaves mostly featherveined
from a strong midrib: rays several.
28. S. rigida (Linn.): scabrous-pubescent, somewhat hoary ;stem stout;
the short compact racemes corymbose at the summit; leaves rigid; the
lower mostly oval or oblong, serrate, petioled; the others ovate-oblong,
closely sessile, slightly clasping; the uppermost entire; heads (very large)
about 34-flowered, crowded.—L in n . spec. 1. p . 880 ; A i t . ! K ew . (ed . 1) 3.
p . 216 ,• M ic h x .! fl. 2. p . 118 ; P u r s h ! fl. 2. p . 543 ; E l l . ! sic. 2. p . 390 ;
Hook.! fl. B o r .-A m . 2. p . 5; D C . p r o d r . 5. p . 337. S. grandiflora, I ta f .
in m ed . repos, (hex. 2) 5. p . 359. Virga-Aurea Novte-Angliae, H e rm . p a r a d .
t. 243. (poor.)
Dry soil, from Connecticut! New York! and Pennsylvania! to North
Carolina! &c. along the mountains; and from Saskatchewan, Michigan!
and Missouri! to Arkansas ! and Texas ! Aug.-Oct.—Stem 3-4 feet high,
stout and rigid, clothed with a rough pubescence. Leaves thick, clothed
with a minute and somewhat hoary pubescence, scabrous, or often rather
soft or velvety beneath, more or less serrate with fine mostly appressed or
somewhat crenate teeth; the radical ones 4 to 9 inches long, on petioles
about the same length; the upper cauline reduced to 1-2 inches in length,
broadly oval or ovate-oblong. Heads among the largest and most showy of
the genus. Scales of the involucre oblong, very obtuse, slightly striate,
pubescent or almost glabrous. Rays large, oblong, 7—10. Achenia
very glabrous.
29. S . corymbosa (E ll.): stem stout, glabrous; the corymbose branches
and short racemes hirsute-pubescent; leaves (cauline) oblong-lanceolate,
closely sessile, rigid, glabrous, with minutely ciliate and very scabrous margins,
mostly serrulate; heads (large) in short and loose fastigiate racemes,
about 30-flowered.—E l l . ! sk . 2. p . 378.
In the middle districts of Georgia, E ll io t t ! Sept.-Oct.—“ Stem 4-6 feet
high, robust and virgately erect, branching near the summit, the young
branches hirsute.” E l l . Radical leaves unknown; the lower cauline 4—6
inches long, about an inch wide, coriaceous, the margin rough with close fine
hairs; the upper similar but gradually reduced in size to about an inch in
length, rather crowded, somewhat acute; the younger more ciliate, and the
lower surface sometimes furnished with scattered hairs. Heads smaller than
in S. rigida, but about twice the size of those of the following species, on rather
slender bracteolate pedicels, disposed in loose short racemes terminating
the corymbose branches, those of the lower or exterior racemes unilateral and
recurved-spreading. Involucre minutely pubescent, similar to that of S. rigida.
Rays about 10, rather large. Achenia perfectly glabrous. Pappus as
long as the corolla of the disk. Doubtless distinct from the preceding, if the
stem is constantly smooth. What is S. corymbosa, P o i r . s u p p l., of unknown
origin, with rough crenate-toothed leaves ?
30. 5. Ohioensis (Riddell) : very smooth and glabrous; stem strict, fasti-
giate-corymbose at the summit; radical and lowest cauline leaves lanceolate-
oblong, obtuse, with ciliolate-scabrous margins, finely serrate towards the
apex, tapering into slender petioles; the others oblong-lanceolate, closely sessile,
mostly entire; heads (rather small) numerous, in a compound corymb,
on slender glabrous pedicels, 16-20-flowered ; pappus shorter than the corolla
of the disk.—R id d e l l ! s y n o p s .f l. Weste rn S ta te s , p . 57.
Wet grassy prairies of Ohio, M r . V an Cleve ! D r . R id d e l l ! and of Indiana,
M r . L e a ! Also in various parts of Western New York, D r . S a r tw e ll!
D r . K n ie s k e r n ! M r . G. W . C lin to n ! Sept.-Oct.—Plant 2-3 feet high,
perfectly smooth, except the margins of the leaves; with a simple virgate
stem, which is divided at the summit into a compound fastigiate corymb ;
the oblong heads all erect, and on slender pedicels. Leaves of a rather firm
texture ; the radical 5-8 inches long, an inch or an inch and a half in breadth,
with petioles often about the same length ; the cauline successively reduced
in size (the uppermost about an inch long), rather crowded, erect. Scales of
the narrow involucre 8—10, oblong, obtuse. Rays 6—7, small. Pappus
scarcely longer than the perfectly glabrous achenia.
v o l . i i .— 27