ble for its large and double flowers of many colors ; by cultivation
greatly improved in the last fifteen years.
Several of our native species, are now found a valuable addition
in gardens ; their flowers will probably increase in size and
beauty.
In England, more than 100 species are native or cultivated ;
and 75 species from North America have been introduced and
propagated, in the zeal of the florists and botanists to be familiar
with living plants. The native plants pass in England under
the name of Christmas daisies, on account of the lateness of their
blossoms, and are not esteemed very ornamental. Loudon.
S olidago. L. 17. 2. Golden Rod.
From its healing power over wounds, its name is taken from a
Latin word, to unite. The genus has about 50 species, nearly
four fifths of which belong to North America. All have yellow
flowers except one, but are of very little beauty. They give
variety to autumnal vegetation, but are coarse plants, and do not
well bear inspection in detail. Twenty species are ascribed to
this State. A part bear erect flowers, and another part have
their flowers in one-sided panicles. Forty-three species from
North America are cultivated in England.
<S>. odora. Ait. Sweet-scented Golden Rod. Stem 2 - 3
feet high, pubescent above, with long and narrow leaves, sessile ;
flowers numerous on many branches. An aromatic oil gives to
the plant a pleasant odor ; this is sometimes distilled from it. I
have not noticed this species in the western part of this State.
Medicinal; Bigelow’s “ Medical Botany.”
S. altissima. L. A tall, large, erect, stiff, hairy plant, covered
with long, sessile leaves, and with a large, branching top of
one-sided yellow flowers ; August; hedges and fields.
S. Canadensis. L. Has a downy stem and lanceolate leaves,
broader than the last, and rough, with a large, branched top of
one-sided flowers ; stem 2 — 5 feet high ; August.
S. ulmifolia. W. Has large, elm-like, toothed leaves, elliptic,
acuminate ; flowers in a long terminal panicle, recurved ;
woods on hills ; August.
<S. lanceolata. Ait. Rises to near a level top of flowers in a
corymb, branched, 2 feet high, with long narrow leaves, sessile,
and grasslike at a little distance ; fields ; August.
/S. bicolor. L. Has white flowers in the ray, and yellowish
in the disk; stem hairy, 2 — 3 feet high, with hairy and oval
leaves ; racemes of flowers erect ; whitish pubescence on the
leaves ; fields and woods ; August to September. The flowers
not a bright white.
S. ciliaris. W. The common Golden Rod of the fields.
S. tenuifolia. Ph. Closely related to the last.
,S. speciosa. Nutt. Has larger rays and is the most beautiful.
The other species that have been noticed, loevigata, Ait., cæsia, W.,
gigantea, Ait., nemoralis, Ait., arguta, W., aspera, Ait., latifolia,
Muhl., livida, W., rigida, Ait., serotina, W., squarrosa, Nutt.,
and stricta, W., have various degrees of beauty. The cæsia is
very beautiful.
B idens. L. 17. 3.
Named from the two projecting teeth of the seed ; embraces
about 20 species, nearly all natives of America. They are unsightly
and useless weeds. 5 species are found in this State, of
which 3 are pretty common.
B . frondosa. L. Common Beggar Ticks or Cuckold«, or,
more elegantly, Burr Marygold. Grows 3 - 5 feet high, about
gardens and yards, and infests cultivated fields. As the seeds
have 2 barbed awns, they fasten themselves to the clothes, or
to the covering of animals, and are widely scattered. Only careful
cultivation will eradicate this troublesome weed ; no beauty,
and no obvious use ; August.
f§