“ After the period of flowering, it remains for a month or two in a dormant
state, shedding its leaves. . . . Cultivated in Philadelphia, it flowered both in
the spring and autumn.” Nutt.—We trust the plant will not be lost to our
gardens, as it is very showy. It is very closely allied to Leptosyne, and,
like that plant, has nearly the style of the Anthemidese.
107. SPILANTHES. Jacq. stirp. Amer. p. 214, t. 126; DC. 1. c.
Spilanthus, Linn, mant.; Gcertn.; Less. (pc.—Spilanthes & Acmella, Richard.
Heads many-flowered; the ray-flowers ligulate, sometimes inconspicuous,
or frequently wanting. Involucre shorter than the disk, appressed, in 2
series; the exterior scales somewhat foliaceous ; the interior membranaceous.
Receptacle conical, convex, or elongated; the chaff membranaceous, embracing
the flowers. Corolla of the disk tubular-infundibuliform, 4—5-toothed.
Branches of the style in the disk-flowers truncate and penicillate at the summit.
Achenia of the disk laterally compressed, the margins mostly ciliate ;
of the ray, when present, somewhat triquetrous, or by the obliteration of the
inner angle more or less obcompressed; all either crowned with 1-3 small
setiform awns, or naked.—Mostly annual tropical herbs (the greater portion
American), usually fervid or acrid to the taste ; with opposite entire or serrate
leaves. Heads solitary on slender peduncles, ovate or conical. Flowers
yellow or rarely white. Anthers blackish.
§ Heads radiate; the rays hairy at the lase: achenia' of the ray either
3-angled and 3-aioned or sometimes awnless, or 2-awned, the inner angle
naked, or sometimes the inner angle obliterated.—Acmella, (Rich.) DC.
1 . S. repens (Michx.) : glabrous, or sparsely somewhat hairy; stem simple
or slightly branched, decumbent, rooting at the base ; leaves lanceolate
or ovate-lanceolate, acute, somewhat serrate, mostly tapering into a petiole ;
peduncles terminal (or at length alar), elongated ; heads ovoid ; scales of the
involucre lanceolate, about 12, in 2 series ; rays 12, exserted ; achenia awnless
and without ciliate margins.—Michx.! fi. 2. p. 131 ; DC. prodr. 5.
p . 623. Acmella repens, Pers.; Ell. sk. 2. p. 406. Anthemis repens,
Walt.; Pursh, fl. 2. p. 562.
In wet or inundated places, South Carolina to Florida ! Sept.-Oct.— 11
Disk and ray yellow ; the former at length oblong-conical. Achenia slightly
papillose-scabrous when mature; the exterior often with ciliate margins.
—We have a specimen from a plant cultivated in the Jar din des Plantes
under this name, which accords with the description as to the foliage ; but
the short involucral scales are ovate, and the achenia all strongly ciliate.
2. S. Nuttallii: villous-pubescent, or nearly glabrous; stems diffusely
branched, ascending; leaves ovate or oblong, acute, coarsely serrate-toothed,
abruptly contracted into a slender petiole; heads ovoid, at length conoid-
oblong, on terminal or alar peduncles longer than the leaves ; scales of the
involucre lanceolate-ovate, acute, 9-12, somewhat in a double series; rays
5?-12, mostly as long as the disk; achenia awnless (rarely with 1 or 2 very
minute awns), tuberculate-scabrous when mature, the margins ciliate.—
Acmella occidentalis ? Nutt.! gen. 2. p. 171, not of Pers.
Inundated places, East Florida! (Dr. Leavenworth!) to Louisiana 1 Missippi!
Arkansas! and Texas! Aug.-Oct.—Stems 1-2 feet long. Leaves
2 inches or more in length, one or more wide, veiny. Rays yellow, varying
from a fourth to fully half an inch in length, usually 10 or 12. Disk when
mature fully half an inch long. Achenia of the ray somewhat triangular-
obcompressed, otherwise similar to those of the disk; the innermost often
smooth, at least when young ; but all distinctly, although not very stongly
ciliate.
S. Pseudo-Acmella (Linn.) is cited as a Californian species, with a mark of doubt,
in the Botany of Beechey’s Voyage (p. 150), on the authority of a very imperfect
specimen in the collection from California, made during that voyage.
108. LIPOCHiETA. DC. prodr. 5. p. 610.
Heads many-flowered; the ray-flowers ligulate, in a single series. Involucre
ovate or campanulate ; the scales oval, appressed, in 2-3 series. Receptacle
flattish; the chaff membranaceous, clasping the flowers. Branches
of the style in the disk-flowers appendiculate at the summit. Achenia of
the ray 3-sided, scarcely or somewhat winged, each angle produced into a
persistent awn, and with a few setiform [or chaffy] teeth between the awns;
of the disk compressed, 1- 2-awned, the inner margin slightly winged.—
Suffruticose or herbaceous plants [chiefly natives of Mexico and the Sandwich
Islands], with the habit of the opposite-leaved Verbesinte. Leaves
opposite, sessile, or on short petioles, ovate-lanceolate, somewhat serrate,
triplinerved. Heads pedicellate, either solitary or corymbose. Flowers
yellow. DC.
§ Achenia of the ray 3-, o f the disk mostly 2-awned (the aims slender
and upwardly scabrous), with a few intermediate chaffy teeth or scales,
more or less united with each other and with the base of the awns.—Cato-
menia.
1 . L . Texana: suffruticose; branches terete; leaves sessile, triplinerved,
rhombic-ovate, the uppermost ovate-lanceolate, rather acute, strigose above,
villous-hirsute beneath, sparingly and remotely serrate, mostly 2-angled or
2-lobed near the middle, cuneiform at the base; peduncles solitary, naked,
slender; scales of the canescent campanulate involucre in 2 series, nearly
equal in length; the exterior lanceolate, somewhat foliaceous; the interior
with scarious margins; ovaries narrow, crowned with 2-3 setiform awns, and
a few short hyaline denticulate-lacerate scales, all more or less united at
the base.
Texas, Dr. Riddell!—Plant hairy and scabrous; the young branches,
lower surface of the leaves, peduncles, &c. somewhat canescent with appressed
hairs. Leaves 1-2 inches long, slightly hastate-lobed or angled;
the scabrous hairs of the upper surface arising from impressed tubercles.
Involucre about the length of the disk, appressed. Rays 7 or 8, narrowly
oblong, minutely 3-toothed at the summit, 5-6 lines long, orange-yellow in
the dried state. Corolla of the disk yellow, with a slender tube, and an elongated
slightly dilated 5-toothed limb; the teeth puherulent externally. Anthers
brownish, tipped with yellowish triangular appendages. Branches of
the style (in the disk) terminated with long and acute linear-subulate hirsute
appendages. Ovaries of the ray triangular, somewhat pubescent; of the