on the description of Liatris Baicalensis of A dams, which is said to have a chaffy
receptacle, the genus has been thought to be Siberian; although a third, and doubtless
genuine species from Mexico, and subsequently a fourth from Brazil, are
also given by De Candolle. Cassini’s original species is without doubt the Liatris
squamosa of Nuttall; in which the chaffy receptacle (first pointed out to us by Dr.
Chapman) had escaped the notice both of Nuttall and Hooker. On examining the
allied species of Liatris, we find that all those with many-flowered heads disposed
in corymbose cymes also belong to the genus; which is well marked in habit.
* Leaves linear-subulate, appressed: heads cymose or racemose.
1. C. Pseudo-Liatris (Cass. 1. c .) : stem virgate, simple, tomentose-pu-
bescent; leaves linear-subulate, carinate, rigid, closely sessile, nearly glabrous,
sparsely punctate; the radical ones elongated ; the cauline short, very
numerous, closely appressed ; the uppermost pubescent; heads few (3-7),
in a simple contracted cyme ; the branches imbricated with very short subulate
leaves; scales of the involucre ovate-lanceolate, rigid, appressed, to-
mentose-pubescent; achenia minutely hairy; pappus barbellate.—Liatris
squamosa, N u tt.! in jour. acad. Philad. 7. p. 73 ; Hook. ! compan. to bot.
mag. 1. p. 95.
/?. heads (13-14) racemose. Hook. 1. c.
Dry soil, Alabama, Hr. Gates ! Middle Florida, Hr. Chapman ! Also
Covington and Jacksonville, Louisiana, Hrummond (with var. /?.), & Pascagoula,
Mississippi, Hr. Riddell!—Stem about 2 feet high, very straight; the
whole plant of a pale grayish hue. Radical and lower leaves 4-5 inches
long; the cauline ones diminishing in size upwards, those at the summit and
on the peduncles less than half an inch in length, strongly appressed. Flowers
20 or more in each head, (instead of 6-8 as described by Nuttall), bright
purple. Scales of the involucre imbricated in about 3 series. Chaff of the
receptacle lanceolate, resembling the inner scales of the involucre, rigid,
colored and often hairy at the summit, nearly as long as the flowers.—We
have not seen the var. [i.
* * Leaves plane, lanceolate, spat/idate, or oblong: heads corymbose-cymose.
2. C. tomentosus: stem tomentose-puberulent above, corymbose at the
summit; leaves punctate, mostly nearly glabrous, acute; the radical ones
lanceolate or lanceolate-spatulate, tapering into a petiole, somewhat 3-nerved;
the cauline small, scattered, lanceolate or ovate, sessile, slightly appressed ;
the uppermost pubescent; heads 1-5 on each branch of the loose and spreading
corymbose cyme; scales of the somewhat cylindrical-campanulate involucre
ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acute, appressed, or with slightly spreading
tips, very tomentose and glandular; lobes of the corolla ovate-lanceolate;
pappus rather strongly barbellate.—Liatris tomentosa, Michx. ! Jl. 2. p. 93 ;
Pursh, jl. 2. p. 510 ; Curtis ! pi. Wilmingt., in Boston, jour. nat. hist. 1 . p.
127 ; not of Ell. L. Walteri, Ell. ! sk. 2. p. 285 ; HC. 1. c. Anonymos
uniflora, Walt. Car. p. 198.
Margin of swamps, Virginia {Pursh) and North Carolina, Michaux!
Mr. Croom! Mr. Curtis! to Georgia, Hr. Mac Bride ! {Elliott.) Sept.-
Oct.—Stem about 2 feet high. Cyme sometimes simple with 5 or more
heads, but often corymbose with the branches elongated and much spreading.
Scales of the involucre imbricated in 4 or 5 series, hoary but often somewhat
colored, without scarious margins. Corolla deep purple. Pappus purplish.
Chaff of the receptacle (often wanting in the centre of the head) narrowly
linear, a little hairy at the tip, rather shorter than the flowers.
3. C. bellidifolius: low, nearly glabrous; stems numerous from the same
root, slender, branching above; radical leaves spatulate, 3-nerved, tapering
into a petiole, -punctate with scattered impressed dots ; the cauline small and
scattered, mostly linear; heads commonly solitary upon each slender branch
of the nearly simple corymb ; scales of the involucre rather loose, oblong and
obovate, very obtuse, not margined; the outermost spreading; lobes of the
corolla lanceolate-linear, elongated ; achenia ha iry ; pappus densely plu-
mose-barbellate.—Liatris bellidifolia, Michx. / Jl. 2. p. 93 ; Nutt. ! gen.
2. p. 133 ; HC. prodr. 5. p. 132.
Dry sandy hills, near Wilmington, North Carolina, Michaux ! Nuttall!
Helile ! Mr. Curtis ! &fc. Sept.—Plant 8-12 inches high; the stem often
branched from about the middle. Scales of the eampanulate involucre in
about 3 series, glabrous, the margin scarcely scarious or ciliate; the outermost
smaller and bracteolate ; the second series obovate or obovate-oblong;
the innermost linear-oblong and much longest. Bristles of the pappus almost
plumose to the naked eye. Chaff of the receptacle narrowly linear, as long
as the flowers, deciduous.
4. C. corymbosus: stem solitary, tall, stout, somewhat hirsute-tomentose;
leaves nearly glabrous, about 1-nerved; the radical ones oblanceolate, obtuse,
gradually tapering to the base; the cauline small and numerous,
oblong, closely sessile; heads about 20, in a dense terminal corymbose cyme;
the branches short, tomentose-hirsute, scales of the involucre nearly glabrous,
appressed, oval, very obtuse, with a broad scarious and somewhat fringed
margin; lobes of the corolla ovate, very short; achenia slightly hairy ; pappus
barbellate.—Liatris corvmbosa, Nutt.! gen. 2. p. 132 (excl. syn.) ; HC.
I. c. L. tomentosa ? Ell. sk. 2. p. 284, not of Michx.
Damp sandy soil, and along the margin of swamps, N. Carolina! to
Georgia! and Florida! Sept.-Oct.—Stem 2-4 feet high, striate. Leaves
somewhat fleshy, 1 -nerved or very slightly tripli-nerved, sometimes obscurely
punctate ; the radical ones 4-6 inches long, very gradually narrowed
to the base; the cauline (gradually diminished to about half an inch in
length,) appressed. Inner scales of the involucre scarcely longer than the
others. Corolla pale purple. Pappus mostly white. Chaff of the receptacle
linear or lanceolate, with searious tips, shorter than the flowers; often
wanting in the centre of the head.
II. LIATRIS. Schreb. gen. p. 542 ; HC. prodr. 5. p. 128. (excl. spec.)
Heads few-many-flowered. Scales of the involucre few or numerous,
imbricated, not striate. Receptacle naked. Corolla tubular, 5-lobed, the
lobes usually elongated. Branches of the style much exserted, cylindraceous
or somewhat flattened, obtuse. Achenia nearly terete, tapering to the base,
about 10-ribbed. Pappus of numerous (15-40) plumose or barbellate
bristles.—Perennial (North American) herbs or very rarely shrubby plants,
mostly with simple stems and a tuberous root. Leaves alternate or scattered,
usually lanceolate or linear and entire, with a rigid or cartilaginous margin,
1-5-nerved, rarely veiny. Heads disposed in an elongated spike or
raceme (flowering from the summit downwards), sometimes (as if by accident)
paniculate, rarely corymbose. Flowers purple, occasionally varying
to white; the corolla, style, &c. commonly dotted with scattered resinous
globules.
§ 1. Root a globose mostly naked tuber {impregnated iwth a terebinthine substance)
: leaves linear or lanceolate, gramineous, 1-5-nerved, mostly punctate
with impressed and resinous dots: heads in a virgate spike or raceme :
involucre manifestly imbricate: lobes of the corolla lanceolate or linear: