6. C. tuberosa (Nutt.): stem sulcate-angled; leaves green on both sides,
strongly 5-7-nerved; the radical and lower cauline lanceolate-ovate or oval,
obtuse or acutish, entire or repand-denticulate, tapering into very long petioles
; the upper ovate or cuneate-oblong, usually toothed towards the apex,
on short margined petioles ; corymb compound, fastigiate.—Nutt.! gen. 2.
p. 138; DC. 1. c. C. paniculata, Raf. ann. nat. p . 15. C. pteranthes,
Raf. 1. c. ?
Marshes and wet prairies, Ohio! Michigan! Illinois! and Upper Missouri!
to Arkansas! Louisiana! Western Alabama! and Florida! May-
July.—“ Root a round tuber, similar to a small turnip,” Nuttall, &c.
(but some other botanists have not met with the tubers.) Stem 2-6 feet high.
Leaves thickish, not at all glaucous ; the radical resembling those of the
common Plantain; the largest rarely subcordate: the upper either entire, or
obtusely toothed, or even incised. Scales of the involucre oblong-linear, obtuse.
Receptacle pointed with a short subulate appendage.
7. C. lanceolata (Nutt.): stem terete, virgate, slender, somewhat glaucous;
leaves glaucescent, 3- (sometimes 5-) nerved, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate,
acute, entire, or very sparingly and sharply toothed; the radical and lower
tapering into slender petioles; the uppermost sessile; corymb loose.—Nutt.!
gen. 2.p . 138; E ll.! sk. 2. p. 311; DC. 1. c.
Wet places, Georgia! to Florida and Louisiana!—Stem 2-3 feet high.
Leaves thickish, 3-6 inches long, 3-10 lines wide; the cauline often with
one or two sharp spreading teeth on each side. Scales of the involucre linear,
acutish or acute. Receptacle with a central scale-like appendage.
C. gigantea (Hort. Vindob.), Schauer in Linncea, 16, suppl. p. 216 (1842), raised
from seeds received from New Orleans, so far as the description extends, does not
differ from C. atriplicifolia.
163. SENECIO. Linn.; Less. syn. p. 391; DC.prodr. 6.p. 340.
Heads many-flowered, either discoid with the flowers all tubular and perfect,
or radiate ; the rays pistillate. Scales of the involucre in a single series,
or calyculate with a few accessory scales. Receptacle not chaffy, naked or
alveolate. Branches of the style in the disk-flowers truncate, the apex only
minutely penicillate. Achenia not rostrate or winged, often grooved or ribbed.
Pappus of numerous very slender capillary bristles.—Herbs or shrubs (occurring
in almost every part of the world) ; with alternate leaves, and solitary,
paniculate, or corymbose heads. Flowers for the most part yellow.
In many species of this vast genus (especially in S. coronopus, S. spartioides, S.
ampullaceus, and S. filifolius,) the short hairs or papillae of the achenia open at the
apex when moistened, and emit spiral threads of considerable size, which may be
distinctly observed with a simple lens of low power.
* Annual: rays none.
1. S. vulgaris (Linn.): somewhat woolly or nearly glabrous; leaves pin-
natifid and toothed, clasping; the lowest tapering into petioles; heads corymbose,
nodding, discoid ; the calyculate scales (about 10) appressed, much
shorter than the proper scales of the involucre ; achenia puberulent.—Linn,
spec. 2. p. 867 ; FI. Dan. t. 513 ; Engl. hot. t. 747; Pursh, Jl. 2. p. 528 ;
Hook. ! Jl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 331; DC. ! prodr. 6. p. 341.
Waste and cultivated grounds in the Northern States! introduced from
Europe. Also Hudson’s Bay, Newfoundland, and Labrador, (H o o k .) June—
Oct.—A homely weed, a span to a foot high.— Groundsel.
* * Annual: heads radiate.
2. iS. lobatus (Pers.): glabrous (or slightly floccose when young); stem
striate ; leaves somewhat fleshy, lyrate-pinnatifid or pinnately divided ; the
lobes mostly distant and opposite, rounded, crenate-toothed or incised; corymb
(usually compound) crowded, fastigiate ; involucre nearly ecalyculate ; rays
about 12 ; achenia minutely hispid on the 5 alternate (stronger) ribs.—
P e r s . syn . 2. p. 436; E l l . ! sk . 2. p . 332. S. lyratus, M ich x . ! j l . 2. p . 120,
not of L in n . f . Sfc. S. glabellus, P o ir . d ie t. 7. p . 102. S. Carolinianus,
S p r e n g . s y s t. 3. p . 559. S. Mississippianus, D C . ! p r o d r . 6. p . 427. S. den-
siflorus, M a rten s, in bull. a ca d . B ru x . 8. p . 67. S. Schweinitzianus, N u tt.!
in trans. A m e r. p h il . soc. (n. se r.) 7. p . 411.
j Damp soils, rice-fields, &c. North Carolina! to Florida! Missouri ! Louisiana
! and Texas! common: flowering through the season.—Stem hollow.
Leaves extremely variable in the degree of incision, and in the number and
size of the segments; the uppermost leaves often auriculate-clasping and
laciniate-incised ; the lowest petioled.—B u tte r-w e ed .
3. S. Coronopus (Nutt.): glabrous, much branched; leaves all pinnatifid,
auriculate-clasping, with a wide rachis and a few acute segments, those of
the upper leaves denticulate; branches fastigiate, bearing few heads on
elongated naked peduncles ; scales of the campanulate involucre (about 20)
smooth, carinate, with acute sphacelous tips ; rays about 15, oblong, elongated
; achenia cylindric, 10-ribbed, the ribs strigose; pappus about the
length of the florets.—N u tt. ! in trans. A m e r. p h il . soc. 1. c. p . 213.
St. Barbara, California, N u tta ll!—May.—Plant not glaucous. Rays
bright yellow.—Mr. Nuttall inquires whether it may not be a variety of S.
coronopifolius, D e sf., introduced by accident; and it does not differ in any
essential points from the description of that species.
4. £. Californicus (D C . ) : glabrous, erect; stem nearly simple, somewhat
angled, corymbose at the summit; radical leaves oblong, tapering into a
petiole, entire; the cauline lanceolate, toothed, partly auriculate-clasping;
corymb simple, somewhat crowded; scales of the campanulate slightly calyculate
involucre 20, acuminate; rays about 20, several-nerved; the disk-
flowers about 60; achenia velvety-villous [?]. D C . ! p r o d r . 6. p . 426.
f i . la x io r (DC.! 1. c .): corymb looser; rays 10-15; disk-flowers about
50; achenia more densely villous [?].
_ California, D o u g la s .—'The so-called villosity of the achenia, in this species,
is probably produced by the emission of spiral threads, when moistened.
5. S. ? Jlocciferus (DC.): steins angled, glabrous, much branched from
the base; leaves mostly radical, pinnately parted ; the ovate acutely toothed
lobes bearing here and there dense tufts of floccose hairs in their axils; cauline
leaves few, at the origin of the branches; heads solitary terminating the
branchlets ; involucre glabrous, calyculate; rays almost none, deformed, pistillate,
scarcely different from the disk-flowers; achenia glabrous. D C .
p r o d r . 6. p . 426 ; H o o k . Sf A m . bot. Beechey, su p p l. p . 360.
California, D o u g la s .—M The flowers are reddish ; the ligulate florets appear
to be in several rows, and gradually to pass into the tubular ones.”
Hook, i f A m .
* * * Biennial: heads radiate, corymbose: involucre not calyculate.
6. ,S. p a lu s tr is (Hook.) : stem erect, somewhat simple, villous; leaves
broadly lanceolate, dentate-sinuate [or laciniately subpinnatifid], acute,