GNAPHALIUM GERMANICUM. COMMON
CUDWEED.
GNA PH A L IUM germanicum, caule erect©, aplce prolifero, foliis lanceolatls tomentosis, floribus glo-
boso-capitatis axillaribus terminalibusque.
GNA PH A L IUM germanicum. Huds. Angl. p. 362. With. Bot. A m ed. 4. ml. 3. p. 700. Smith
FI. B r it. p. 874. Engl. Bot. t. 946. Willd. Sp. P L ml. 3. p. 1894. Lam.
Diet. ml. 3. p. 759- Decand. PL Fr. ed. 3. ml. 4. p. 135. Fl. Gall. Syn.
p. 278. A it. Hort. Kero. ed. 3. ml'. 5. p . 19*
FILAGO germanica. Linn. Sp. P L p. 1311. Oedei' Fl. Dan. t. 997. Pers. Syn. P i. ml. 2.
| | 422.
F ILAGO caule dichotomo, corymbo sphterico in angulo sessili. Hall. Helm. n. 153.
G N APHAL IUM minus seu Herba impia. R ail Syn. p. 180.
Welsh. Edafeddog Iroyd. L ly s y gynd-daredd.
Class and Order. SY N G EN E S IA POLYGAMIA SÜPÈRFLÜA.
[Natural Order. C OM PO S IT E , Trib. 3. CORYMBIFEBJE, Decandolle. CORYMBIFERJE, Jaw.]
Gen . Char. Involucrum imbricatum, squamis scariosis coloratis. Receptaculum nudum. Flosculi omnes tu-
bulosi, alii hermaphroditi, alteri feminini. Pappus scaber aut plumosus.
Gen . Char. Involucre imbricated, with scariose coloured scales. Receptacle naked. Florets all tubulose,
some hermaphrodite, others female. Pappus rough or plumose.
Radix annua, fibrosa, ramosa, fusca.
Caules duo vel très ex eadem radice, spithamæi pédales
et ultra, erecti, simplices, sub summam
apicem floriferam ramoso-proliferi, ramis duo ad
quinque, simplicibus, patentibus, sursum curvatis,
longitudinis variæ, caulibus ramisque teretibus,
tomentosis, undique foliosis.
Folia numerosa, alterna, semi-amplexicaulia, erecta,
lanceolata, acuta, uninervia, pallide viridia, albo-
tomentosa, mollia.
Flores patentes, ovati, in capitulisglobosis, arachnoideo-
tomentosis, axillaribus, terminalibusque dense
congesti.
Involucrum: Squamæcalycinæ lanceolate, ovatæ,
carinate, acùminatoe, fere aristate, pallide luteo-
virides,, margine scariosæ, àlbæ, fig . 1.3.
Receptaculum nudum, punctatum.
Flosculi omnes tubulosi, flavi, calycis squamis pau-
lulum breviores ; disci steriles, germine imper-
fecto, corollæ (fig. 3. 4.) limbo quinquefido, la-
ciniis recurvatis; foeminei exteriores et intra
squamas calycinas præcipue sita, fig . 5. 6. corollæ
limbo quinquepartito, laciniis erectiusculis.
Stamina quinque. Antheræ flavæ, coalite.
Ovarium inferum, obovatum. Stylus tubi longitudinem
excedens; Stigma bifidûm, segmentas recurvis.
Semina ovata, palliae fusca, striata, hispida. Pappus
setaceus, scaber.
Root annual, fibrous, branched, brown.
Stems two or three from the same root, from a span to
a foot high and more, erect, simple, beneath the
flower-bearing summit branched in a proliferous
manner, the branches from two to five, simple,
patent, but Curved upward, of various lengths,
with the stems and branches round, tomentose,
throughout leafy. .
Leaves numerous, alternate, semi-amplexicaul, erect,
lanceolate, acute, one-nerved, pale green, white
with down, soft.
Flowers patent, ovate, thickly collected into globose,
. arachnoid-toinentose, axillary and terminal heads.
Involucre : Calycine scales lanceolate, ovate, carinate,
acuminate, almost aristate, pale yellow
green, their margins scariose, white, fig . 1. 2.
Receptacle naked, punctated.
Florets all tubulose,, yellow, a little shorter than the
calycine scales; those of the disk sterile, having an
imperfect germen, the limb of the corolla is quin-
quefid, with recurved latinise; the female are exterior
and principally placed within the calycine
scales, fig . 5. 6. the limb of the corolla quinque-
fid, with nearly erect lacinias.
Stamens five. Anthers yellow, united.
Ovary inferior, obovate. Style exceeding the length
of the tube; Stigma bifid, the segments recurved.
Seeds ovate, pale brown, striate, hispid. Pappus setaceous,
rough.
Fig. 1. A flower, in which the floscules are concealed by the calycine scales, fig . 2. A calycine scale, fig . 3.
and 4. Imperfect flowers, fig. 5. 6. Female flowers, fig . 7. Ovary and style, fig . 8. Seed with its pappus.
' fig. 9- Portion of the pappus.—All but fig . 3. and 5. are more or less magnified.
Although this species is said to have its heads of flowers axillary as well as terminal, they are only so fronithe
putting forth of new branches immediately beneath those heads of flowers which terminate the m'ain stem. This
. remarkable property and the singular shape of the heads, distinguish this very common species from all the other
English Gnaphalia. I t loves a sterile soil by the side of roads and in uncultivated places, and flowers during the
latter summer and autumnal months.
Bauhin says that this plant is called “ Herba impia” because die young branches, like arrogant and undutiful
children, raise their heads above those of their parents: but other authors with more probability allege, that this
name is given because the plant is so uninviting a weed that cattle were supposed to be unwilling to eat it. Ray,
however, says that its name of Cudweed is derived from the property it possesses of promoting ruminating in cattle,
and that it is called Chafeweed in Northumberland, because it may be used to prevent heavy burthens from galling
the backs of the creatures employed to bear them.
Its properties are astringent, and have been used with advantage in the cure of diarroehas and dysenteries.
The Linmean genus Filago is only distinguishable from Gnaphalium by its having the female florets among the
calycine scales.