Z innia. W, 17. 2. ,
Named after John Godfrey Zinn, who published a catalogue of
plants in the garden of Gottingen. Loudon.
An American genus of 5 species,
Z. violacea, W., and Z. verticillata, W, Blood Marygold.
Beautiful plants from Mexico, introduced within a few years into
our gardens.
S tarkea. W. 17. 2.
Named after the Rev. Mr. Starke, a botanist of Silesia ; only
one species, a native of the island of Jamaica.
S. umbellata. W. Lately introduced into flower-gardens,
for its beauty. The leaves are opposite, nerved, and downy beneath,
and the flowers are in umbelliferous heads-.
E rigeron. L. 17. 2. Fleabane.
From the Greek for spring and old man, because some species
become old early in the season, which is not the fact with any of
our species. About 50 species are spread over Europe, and
North and South America ; 7 are common in this State ; all
weeds. As some species have a strong aromatic scent, which is
always offensive to insects, and avoided by most of them, we see
the origin of the English name.
E . bellidifolium. W. Plantain-leafed Fleabane. Stem 2 - 3
feet high, with purplish blue flowers ; though named daisy-leafed,
it has little beauty of foliage compared with that plant.
E. Canadense. L. An unsightly plant, 2 - 4 feet high, with
small flowers, growing over the fields, with a strong, aromatic,
offensive odor ; astringent, and used sometimes by farriers to stop
the flowing of blood from wounded horses ; spreads rapidly on
every side ; August.
E . integrifolium. Big. Grows beside roads and woods, 2
feet high, slightly pubescent; leaves lanceolate, nerved, entire,
slightly clasping ; June to August.
The other four species, heterophyllunt, L ., Philadelphicum, L.,
purpureum, L ., and strigosum, L ., have little interest.
-S e n eGio . L. 17. 2.
So called, like the last, for the early maturity of some of the
species. Mostly mere weeds ; about 140 species spread over
Europe and the adjoining countries, and the Cape of Good Hope ;<
about 14 species in this country, only 5 in this State, and 2 of
them rather rare.
$. aureus, W., and S. obovatus, W. Ragwort. Grow in wet
places, 2 - 3 feet high, with yellow blossoms, rather showy.
The decoction of these is Sometimes-successfully used for the
cure of the salt-rheum, by washing the eruption with it.
S. vulgaris. L. Groundsel. Introduced from Europe ;
emollient and resolvent, and used in Europe as a remedy for
spitting of blood. Loudon.
S. hieracifolius. L. Fireweed. The well-known plant that
springs up where a clearing is made in the forest by burning up
logs and brush ; a large plant, with unsightly flowers, and large
succulent leaves. In travelling the Great Canal, in the State of
New York, you pass large neglected fields of half-cleared lands,
which are overrun by this weed. Cultivation eradicates it with
the greatest ease, although it appears to yield a multitude of seeds.
The plant has a nauseous odor.
S. balsamitce. W. A small plant with radical leaves, oblong,
serrate, petiolate, and the stem leaves lyrate or pinnatifid ; June,
in dry pastures ; Stoneham. Big.
H e l enium. L. 17. 2.
An American genus of few species ; named from a species of
Inula, Elecampane, whose cosmetic properties the famous Helen-
is fabled to have used.