116. PALAFOXIA. Lagasca, nov. gen. h. Madr. (1815) p . 26; DC.
Paleolaria, Cass. (1816), Less.—Polypteris, Nutt. (1818); not of Less., nor of DC.
Heads 10-30-flowered ; the flowers all perfect and tubular; or the exterior
series either imperfectly or manifestly radiate ; the rays 3-cleft, pistillate.
Scales of the ohconical or campanulate involucre 8-15, membranaceous or
herbaceous with scarious tips, appressed (or spreading in fruit) in 1-2 series,
shorter than the disk. Receptacle small, flat, naked or slightly alveolate.
Corolla of the disk with a slender tube and an expanded deeply 5-cleft or
5-parted limb; the lobes linear or lanceolate, spreading, glabrous. Branches
of the style long and filiform, flattish, glandular-pubescent throughout.
Achenia quadrangular, slender, tapering to the base, minutely pubescent.
Pappus of 6-12 membranaceous denticulate pinnately striate scales, furnished
with a strong midnerve, which is thickened at the base and often
somewhat produced at the apex; the pappus of the exterior flowers often
much shorter.—Herbaceous or suffruticose (chiefly Mexican and Texan)
cinereous or strigose-scabrous plants; the loosely paniculate or corymbose
branches and peduncles often glandular. Leaves linear or lanceolate, entire,
somewhat petioled, alternate, scattered, or the lower opposite, 1-3-nerved.
Flowers white, flesh-colored, or purple.
§ 1 . Heads radiate, or with some of the marginal flowers palmate or irregular,
and with a smaller pappus than the disJc-floioers : scales of the involucre
somewhat herbaceous, equal, in 1-2 series, often somewhat embracing the
exterior achenia (nerves of the lobes of the disk-corolla intramarginal.)—
E upalafoxia.
1 . P . Hookeriana : leaves'lanceolate, 1-3-nerved; heads (large) many-
flowered, radiate ; scales of the involucre 12 or more, very glandular (as well
as the peduncles and branches), imbricated in 2 series; the exterior lanceolate
; the interior obovate-lanceolate or oblong; rays 8- 10, exserted, broadly
cuneiform, deeply 3-cleft; limb of the disk-corolla 5-cleft below the middle
; pappus of the disk-flowers of 6-8 narrowly lanceolate acuminate scales,
as long as the attenuated hairy achenium; in the rays of as many obovate
or spatulate very obtuse rigid scales, many times shorter than the nearly
glabrous achenia—P. Texana, Hook. ! ic.pl. t. 148, hot of DC.
(3. subradiata: smaller; rays few and inconspicuous, irregular or palmate.—
Stevia spacelata, (Nutt, mss.?) Torr. ! in ann. lyc. New York, 2.
p . 214.
Texas, Drummond! /?. Arkansas, Dr. James! Texas, Mr. Callana!—
Plant apparently 1-2 feet high, rather stout. Heads three-fourths of an inch
in length; the showy rose-purple rays in Drummond’s plant half an inch
or more in length, resembling a Gaillardia ; the disk-flowers also rose-color;
the tube glandular. Scales of the involucre not embracing the achenia;
which are very slender, and in the disk one-third of an inch long__Between
the long acuminate pappus of the central flowers, and the very short and obtuse
nearly corneous scales of the rays, there is almost a Complete gradation;
the exterior flowers which have a tendency to become radiate presenting a
shorter and obtuser papptls.—This is the most showy species of the genus,
and would be very ornamental in cultivation.
2. P. Texana (DC.): leaves linear-lanceolate, 1-nerved, or the lower 3-
nerved ; heads (rather small) many-flowered, discoid, 2 or 3 of the marginal
flowers usually palmate or imperfectly radiate, not exceeding the disk ; scales
of the involucre 8- 12, lanceolate, strigose-puberulent and slightly glandular,
scarcely imbricated ; limb of the corolla 5-cleft to the base ; pappus of the
disk-flowers of 8 lanceolate-ovate acute or cuspidate scales, rather shorter than
the obpyramidal hairy achenium; in the marginal flowers broadly ovate,
mostly obtuse, much shorter.—DC. ! prodr. 5. p. 125.
Texas, Berlandier! Drummond!—11 ? A more slender plant than the
preceding, scarcely glandular, with much smaller heads : the flowers apparently
flesh-colored ; the linear lobes of the corolla rather longer than the almost
glabrous tube. Scales of the involucre scarious at the tip, partly embracing
the exterior achenia.
§ 2. Heads discoid, with the flowers and pappus all similar; the latter of short
and rounded scales (nerves of the lobes of the corolla intramarginal): scales
of the involucre nearly in a single series, equal, somewhat herbaceous, partly
embracing the exterior achenia.—F lo restinaria.
3. P. callosa : strigose-cinereous ; the diffuse and dichotomous slender peduncles
glandular; leaves narrowly linear, 1-nerved; heads (small) turbinate,
10- 12-flowered; scales of the involucre 8- 10, oblong, obtuse; limb of
the corolla 5-cleft to the base ^the oblong-linear lobes much longer than the
tube ; scales of the pappus 8, roundish-obovate, about one-fourth the length
of the obpyramidal minutely hairy achenium.—Stevia callosa, Nutt. ! in
jour. acad. Philad. 2. p. 121 ; Bart. fl. Amer. Sept. t. 46. Florbstina callosa,
DC. ! prodr. 5. p. 655.
Western Arkansas, Nuttall! Texas, Drummond! Dr. Riddell!—(l) ?
Stem slender, a foot high, corymbose at the summit. Leaves often 2 inches
long, a line wide, frequently fascicled in the axils. Involucre 3 lines long;
the scales slightly scarious at the apex. Flowers purple. Pappus uniform
and resembling that of the ray-flowers in P. Hookeriana : the scales opaque
and thickened in the centre and at the base, dilated above, with denticulate-
lacerate margins.—The style is exactly as in Palafoxia, and very different
from that of Florestina ; and the leaves are undivided.
§ 3. Heads discoid, with the flowers and pappus all, similar; the latter o f lanceolate
pointed scales (nerves of the lobes of the corolla marginal): scales of
the involucre somewhat scarious or membranaceous, flat, in 2-3 series; a
few o f the exterior small and bracteolate.—P o ly pt e r is , Nutt.*
4. P. integrifolia: stem slightly scabrous, fastigiate-corymbose above;
leaves linear-lanceolate, 1-nerved, scabrous; heads (rather large) many-
flowered ; scales of the involucre 10-15 ; the inner oblong, obtuse ; the exterior
linear-lanceolate, loose; limb of the corolla 5-cleft below the middle ;
scales of the pappus 8-9 (12-14, Nutt.), linear-lanceolate, attenuate-acuminate,
about the length of the slender slightly pubescent achenium.—Poly-
pte.ris integrifolia, Nutt.! gen. 2. p. 139; E ll.l's k . 2. p. 314, [not of DC.
Paleolaria fastigiata, DC. prodr. 5. p. 125.
* The character of Polypteris in D C. prodr. 5. p. 659, is drawn from a rayless state
of Gaillardia lanceolata.
VOL. ii.—47