CHICORY FAMILY.Cicoriaceae.

Sunshine, Gold FieldsBaéria grácilisYellowSouthwest

This is a dear little plant, often covering the fields with a carpet of gold. The slender stems are about six inches tall, with soft, downy, light green leaves, usually opposite, and pretty fragrant flowers, about three-quarters of an inch across, with bright yellow rays and darker yellow centers. This is sometimes called Fly Flower, because in some places it is frequented by a small fly, which is annoying to horses.B. macránthais a much larger plant, a biennial, with a tuberous root, from seven inches to a foot and a half tall, with long, narrow, toothless leaves, with hairy margins, and flower-headsfrom an inch to an inch and a half across, with yellow rays and hairy involucres. This grows along the coast in California, blooming in May and June.

Venegasia—V. carpesioides.Sunshine—Baeria gracilis.Lessingia—L. leptoclada.

There are several kinds of Bahia, natives of western North America, Mexico, and Chile, herbs or shrubs, more or less woolly.

BahiaBàhia absinthifòliaYellowSpringArizona

This is from eight to fifteen inches tall, with pretty flowers, an inch and a half across, with bright yellow rays and deep yellow centers, contrasting well with the pale gray-green foliage, which is covered with close white down. This grows in arid situations on the mesas and often forms clumps.

There are several kinds of Crassina, natives of the United States and Mexico.

Desert ZinniaCrassìna pùmila (Zinnia)WhiteSpringArizona

Nothing could look much less like a garden Zinnia than this dry, prickly-looking dwarf shrub. It is from three inches to a foot high, the branches crowded with very small, stiff, dull green leaves, and the flowers are about an inch across, rather pretty but not conspicuous, with a yellow center and four or five, broad, cream-white rays, often tinged with dull pink. This plant grows on the plains and is a "soil-indicator," as it flourishes on the poorest, stoniest, and most arid land.

Wild MarigoldBàileya multiradiàtaYellowSpring, summer, etc.Southwest, Tex.

Charming flowers, with a thrifty, cultivated appearance like that of a garden flower. The plant is a foot tall, with grayish-green, woolly stems and foliage, and the handsome flower is an inch and a half across, with a fine ruffle of many bright yellow rays, prettily scalloped, and a yellow center, rather deeper in color. In Arizona bouquets of these flowers may be gathered during every month in the year.

Bàileya pauciradiàtaYellowSpringSouthwest

An odd little desert plant, about six inches tall, with a thickish stem and soft, thickish leaves, covered all over with silky, white wool, giving a pale, silky effect to the whole plant, which is quite pretty, though the pale yellow flowers, each about half an inch across, are not striking.

Desert Zinnia—Crassina pumila.Baileya pauciradiata.Bahia absinthifolia.Wild Marigold—Baileya multiradiata.

PentachaetaPentachaèta àureaYellowSpringCalifornia

Gay, yet delicate little flowers, with slender branching stems, about eight inches tall, and light green, very narrow leaves. The flowers are an inch across, with a feathery ruffle of very numerous narrow rays, light yellow at the tips, growing deeper towards the orange-colored center, and the pretty buds are often tinged with pink or purple. This often grows in patches and is common in southern California.

Daisy DwarfActinolèpis lanòsaWhiteSpringArizona

A quaint little desert plant, only two or three inches tall, with thickish, pale gray-green leaves, covered with close white down, and pretty little flowers, growing singly at the ends of tiny branches, each half an inch across, with a yellow center and pure white rays, which fold back at night. These little flowers are too small to be very conspicuous, but are charming in effect, sprinkled over the bare sand, and when growing in quantities on nearly bare mesas give a whitish appearance to the ground.

There are a good many kinds of Blepharipappus.

Yellow Tidy-tipsBlepharipáppus élegans (Layia)YellowSpringCalifornia

Very pretty flowers, with slender, branching, hairy stems, about a foot tall, and light green, hairy leaves. The flowers are about two inches across, with yellow rays, tipped with white or very pale yellow, neatly arranged around the deep yellow centers, which are specked with black. The rays twist up in fading and turn to a pretty shade of dull pink. This is common and a very handsome kind.

White Tidy-tipsBlepharipáppus glandulòsus (Layia)WhiteSpringSouthwest, Oreg., Wash.

A beautiful kind, eight or nine inches tall, with pale green, hairy leaves, the lower ones toothed, and a slender stem, bearing a charming flower, nearly an inch and a half across, with neat pure white rays and a bright yellow center. This grows in mountain canyons and is widely distributed as far north as British Columbia.

There are several kinds of Gaillardia, all American. They are much cultivated in gardens, were named in honor of Gaillard de Merentonneau, a French botanist.

Daisy Dwarf—Actinolepis lanosa.Pentachaeta aurea.White Tidy-tips—B. glandulosus.Yellow Tidy-tips—Blepharipappus elegans.

Blanket-flower, GaillardiaGaillàrdia pinnatífidaYellowSummerAriz., Col., Tex.

This is handsome and conspicuous, with a slender, rough stalk, about a foot tall, dull green, stiff, rather hairy leaves, mostly from the root, and beautiful flowers, an inch and a half across, with golden-yellow rays, with three teeth, and a center of shaded maroon and yellow, which is very velvety and pretty and becomes an attractive, purplish, fuzzy, round head when the rays drop off. This grows on the plains.G. aristàta, found throughout the West and as far east as Colorado, is an exceedingly handsome kind, sometimes over two feet tall, with beautiful yellow flowers, sometimes measuring four inches across.

Arizona GaillardiaGaillàrdia ArizònicaYellowSpringArizona

A pretty little desert plant, from four to eight inches tall, with a slender, downy flower-stalk, springing from a cluster of roughish, light dull green leaves, more or less hairy and bearing a single handsome flower, nearly two inches across, with a downy involucre and three-toothed rays of an unusual and pretty shade of dull light yellow, finely veined with brown on the back, surrounding a darker yellow, fuzzy center.

Tiny TimHymenathèrum HartwégiYellowSpringArizona

A neat little evergreen, shrubby plant, only about three inches high, with branching stems, clothed with small, narrow, dull green leaves, which look prickly but are actually not very stiff, though tipped with tiny bristles. The flowers are three-eighths of an inch across, very perfect in outline, with bright yellow rays and deeper yellow centers, and the whole effect, of a tiny shrub sprinkled with flowers, is quite attractive, growing on very dry ground along the roadside. The plant has a pronounced smell, which is not unpleasant.

Tall Purple AsterMachaeranthèra incàna (Aster)PurpleSpringSouthwest, Utah, New Mex.

This looks a good deal like an Aster, a branching plant, from two to nearly three feet high, with grayish-green, slightly downy leaves, with very sharp teeth. The flowers are an inch and a half across, with narrow, bright violet rays and bright yellow centers. This grows abundantly in valleys.

Purple Aster—Machaeranthera incana.Tiny Tim—Hymenatherum Hartwegi.Blanket-flower—Gaillardia pinnatifida.Arizona Gaillardia—G. Arizonica.

Laphàmia bisetòsaYellowSummerAriz., New Mex., Tex.

An insignificant plant, except that it grows on the sides of bare, red rocks or head-downward on the under side of overhanging ledges, apparently needing little or no soil, and is therefore noticeable. It forms round clumps, one or two feet across, with many slender stems, about six inches high, small, pale yellowish-green, roughish leaves, and small yellow flower-heads, without rays. This is rare and grows in the Grand Canyon.

There are several kinds of Grindelia, common in the West, recommended as a remedy for Poison Oak.

Gum PlantGrindèlia latifòliaYellowSpringCalifornia

Coarse but rather effective flowers, with smooth, stiff, branching stems, about three feet high, and dark dull green leaves. The flower-heads are over an inch and a half across, with bright yellow rays and centers and very resinous, shiny buds.

There are several kinds of Balsamorrhiza. Both the Latin and common names allude to the aromatic roots.

Arrow-leaf Balsam-root, Big RootBalsamorrhìza sagittàtaYellowSpringUtah, Ida., Cal., Nev., Col.

A very handsome plant, the contrast between the gray-velvet leaves and the great yellow flowers being very striking. It forms large clumps, about a foot and a half high, with slightly downy flower-stalks and heart-shaped or arrow-shaped, toothless leaves, pale gray-green and velvety, covered with silvery down, whiter on the under side. The flowers are over three inches across, with clear bright yellow rays, and a deeper yellow center, fuzzy and greenish-yellow in the middle. The involucre is almost white, thickly covered with silvery, silky wool, and the flowers are pleasantly sweet-smelling. This grows on dry hillsides.

Cut-leaved Balsam-rootBalsamorrhìza macrophýllaYellowSpring, summerUtah, Wyo.

A strikingly handsome plant, forming clumps even larger than the last, with similar flowers, but with quite different foliage. The leaves are rich-green, and decorative in form, more or less slashed into lobes and very sticky, with hairy margins and leaf-stalks, and are nearly as tall as the hairy, sticky flower-stems, from one to two feet high. This grows in rich soil in mountain valleys.

Cut-leaved Balsam Root—Balsamorrhiza macrophylla.

Laphamia bisetosa.Gum Plant—Grindelia latifolia.Arrow-leaf Balsam-root—Balsamorrhiza sagittata.

Balsam-rootBalsamorrhìza HóokeriYellowSpringWest, except Ariz.

Rather handsome, though a coarse plant, over a foot tall, with hairy, dull green or grayish leaves, crisp and harsh to the touch, variously lobed and cut, chiefly in a clump at the root. The flowers are numerous, from an inch and a half to over two inches across, with deep orange-yellow rays, and grow singly on long flower-stalks. This flourishes on dry plains and mesas.

There are several kinds of Wyethia, resembling Balsam-roots, but their thick roots not resinous.

Yellows, Mule-earsWyéthia amplexicàulisYellowSpring, summerUtah, Nev., etc.

A robust and exceedingly handsome plant, one or two feet tall, with rich foliage and gorgeous flowers. The leaves are stiffish, dark rich green, smooth but somewhat sticky, often toothed; the stem-leaves alternate, their bases partly clasping, and the root-leaves a foot or two long and two or three inches broad, with leaf-stalks. The flower-heads are about four inches across, with bright yellow rays, almost orange color, and the center with three rows of yellow disk-flowers, surrounding a clump of pointed, overlapping, stiff, greenish scales in the middle. This sometimes forms immense patches on dry hills at rather high altitudes, as far east as Colorado. It is sometimes called Compass Plant, because its leaves are thought to point North and South, and the Indian name is "Pe-ik."

Woolly WyethiaWyéthia móllisYellowSummerCalifornia

Not so handsome as the last, but a striking plant, from one to four feet high, with gray-green, velvety foliage, all covered with soft wool, forming large clumps of leaves, from six to fifteen inches long. The flowers are two or three inches across, with orange rays and very woolly involucres. This is common in dry places in Yosemite.

There are several kinds of Rudbeckia, all North American.

Black Eyed SusanRudbéckia hírtaYellowSummerCalifornia, etc.

From one to four feet high, with rough leaves and one or a few handsome flowers, from one to four inches across, with deep yellow rays and a purplish-brown conical center. This comes from the MississippiValley, is very common in the East, and becoming common in Yosemite meadows.

Woolly Wyethia—W. mollis.Balsam-root—Balsamorrhiza Hookeri.

Brass Buttons, Butter-headsCótula coronopifòliaYellowSpring, summer, autumnCal., Oreg.

This little weed comes from South Africa, but is now common in wet places, especially in the salt marshes around San Francisco Bay, often carpeting the sand and mud with its succulent, trailing stems. The bright green leaves are alternate and smooth, clasping the stem at base, some with toothless edges, others variously cut and lobed, and the flower-heads are about half an inch or less across, like the bright yellow center of a Daisy, without rays.Matricària matricarioìdesis another little weed, common along roadsides, with conical, greenish-yellow flower-heads, without rays, and feathery foliage, which has a strong pleasant fruity smell when crushed, giving it the name of Pineapple-weed and Manzanilla.

TetradymiaTetradýmia spinòsaYellowSpringWest, etc.

An odd desert shrub, about three feet high, with gray bark and crooked, gnarly, tangled branches, armed with long spines and clothed with small, downy, pale green leaves. The flower-heads are three-quarters of an inch long, without rays, with pale yellow tube-shaped flowers and downy, white involucres, and are so crowded on the twigs that they appear to be loaded with them, but the coloring is too pale to be effective. This is common in the Mohave Desert and elsewhere on dry hills and plains, as far east as Colorado.

There are a great many kinds of Solidago, most of them natives of North America. On the whole, the western Golden-rods are not so fine as the eastern ones, nor are there so many kinds, though there are quite enough to puzzle the amateur, as they are difficult to distinguish.

Arizona Golden-rodSolidàgo trinervàtaYellowSummerArizona

A handsome kind, from one to two feet high, with flower-heads nearly three-eighths of an inch across, with bright yellow rays and centers, forming a large, handsome, plume-like cluster. The stem and leaves are dull bluish-green, rather stiff and rough, the lower leaves with a few obscure teeth. This grows at the Grand Canyon.S. occidentàlis, Western Golden-rod, is smooth all over, with leafy stems, from three to five feet tall, toothless leaves, and flat-topped clusters of small, yellow, sweet-scented flowers. This grows in marshes and along the banks of streams, in California, Oregon, and Washington, blooming in summer and autumn.S. Califórnica, California Golden-rod, is from two to four feet high, with grayish-green, roughish leaves, the lower ones toothed, and small yellow flowers, forming dense pyramidal clusters, from four to thirteen inches long. This grows on dry plains and hillsides and in the mountains, throughout California and in Oregon, blooming in the autumn. It is called Orojo de Leabre by the Spanish-Californians.

Tetradymia spinosa.Arizona Golden-rod—Solidago trinervata.Brass Buttons—Cotula coronopifolia.

There are probably over a thousand different kinds of Senecio, very widely distributed. The name is from the Latin for "old man," in allusion to the long white hairs of the pappus, when "gone to seed." Our kinds have many common names, such as Groundsel, Ragwort, and Squaw-weed.

RagwortSenècio perpléxus var. dísparYellowSpring, summerUtah, Idaho

A conspicuous plant and quite handsome, though its flowers are rather untidy-looking, for, like many other Senecios, the rays do not come out evenly. It is about two feet high, with a stout, hollow, ridged stem, sparsely woolly, and dark green, thickish leaves, with shallow and uneven teeth and covered with sparse, fine, white woolly hairs, as if partially rubbed off. The flowers are over an inch across, with bright yellow rays, curling back in fading, an orange center, fading to brown, and the bracts of the involucre tipped with black. This grows in moist rich soil, in mountain valleys.

Creek SenecioSenècio DouglásiiYellowSpring, summer, autumnSouthwest

A handsome bush, about three feet high, covered with many flowers, on slender flower-stalks, sticking up out of a mass of rather delicate foliage, which is often covered with white cottony wool. The flowers are an inch and three-quarters across, with bright light yellow, rather untidy rays and yellow centers. This grows in dry stream beds and on warm slopes in the foothills.

Creek Senecio—S. Douglasii.Squaw-weed—S. perplexus var. dispar.

Senècio LémmoniYellowSpringArizona

This is quite effective, with attractive flowers and foliage, growing among rocks on hillsides and forming large clumps over a foot high. The stems are slender and often much bent, the leaves are dark green and thin in texture with toothed edges, rolled back, and the numerous flowers are an inch across, with bright yellow rays and deep yellow centers. This plant blossoms both as an annual and as a perennial.

White Squaw-weedSenècio cordàtusWhiteSummerNorthwest

A rather handsome plant, with a stout stem, about two feet tall; the upper leaves more or less downy and the root-leaves rather thick and soft, covered with whitish hairs on the under side. The flower-heads are about three-quarters of an inch across, with a fuzzy, pale yellow center and white rays. This grows in open woods, at rather high altitudes.

Senècio RiddélliiYellowSpring, winterArizona

A rather showy plant, from six inches to two feet tall, blossoming both as an annual and as a biennial, after which it dies. The whole plant is smooth and the foliage is green or bluish-green, rather delicate and pretty. The flowers are an inch to an inch and a half across and they begin to appear in winter when there is little else to brighten the desert mesas. This plant is abundant in valley lands, though it has a wide range.

S. multilobàtusYellowSummerAriz., Utah, etc.

A rather pretty plant, about a foot tall, with a few small leaves on the slightly woolly stem, but most of them in a rosette at the base. They are smooth, thickish and slightly stiff, about an inch and a half long, and neatly cut into small, toothed lobes. The few flowers are in a loose cluster at the top of the stem and have heads about three-quarters of an inch across, with pale yellow rays and brighter yellow centers. This grows at the Grand Canyon and on the dry plains of Utah and Colorado, at altitudes of about seven thousand feet.

Leaf of S. multilobatus.S. Riddellii.S. Lemmoni.White Squaw-weed—Senecio cordatus.

African SenecioSenècio élegansWhite and mauveSpringCalifornia

A handsome plant, which is noticeable on account of its unusual coloring. The stout, smooth stem is two or three feet tall, with smooth, slightly thickish leaves, the margins rolled back, a very peculiar shade of light bright yellowish-green. The handsome flowers are an inch and three-eighths across, with bright deep yellow centers and white rays shading to mauve at the tips, and form a large flat-topped cluster. This is a native of Africa and is not yet common in this country, but grows on the sand dunes near San Francisco.

There are many kinds of Baccharis, all American, chiefly shrubs.

Groundsel-treeChaparral BroomBáccharis pilulàrisWhitish, yellowishAutumnCal., Oreg., Wash.

A branching evergreen shrub, from two to five feet high, with smooth dark green, leathery leaves, an inch or less long, rather wedge-shaped, usually coarsely toothed. The flower-heads are very small, without rays, and are crowded at the ends of the twigs. Some plants have only staminate flowers and some only pistillate ones, and the effect of the two sorts is very different, for the staminate flowers are ugly, but the pistillate ones are provided with quantities of long, white, silky pappus, giving a beautiful, snowy appearance to the shrub. This is very variable, being a fine shrub in favorable situations, and is common along the coast on the sand dunes, on low hills and on high mountain slopes.

There are a great many kinds of Aster, most abundant in North America, difficult to distinguish, the flowers never yellow. Though there are some fine ones in the West, they are not so numerous or so handsome as in the East.

AsterAster ChamissónisPurpleSummer, autumnCal., Oreg.

This is one of the commonest kinds and is quite handsome, from two to five feet high, with leafy, branching stems and alternate, lance-shaped leaves, from two to five inches long, usually toothless, without leaf-stalks. The many flowers are an inch or more across, with yellow centers and white, violet, or purple rays, the bracts of the involucre in several rows, with short and rounded tips. This is rather variable.A. radulìnus, Broad-leaf Aster, has stiff, rough leaves, sharply toothedtowards the broad tips, and usually many flowers, an inch or so across, with whitish rays. This is rather common on dry hills in California and Oregon, blooming in summer and autumn.A. Andersóni, of Yosemite, has toothless, grasslike root-leaves and one beautiful flower, an inch across, with purple rays.

African Senecio—S. elegans.

A large family, of wide geographic distribution, resembling the Sunflower Family and by some authors included in it. They are herbs, rarely trees, almost always with milky, acrid, or bitter juice; the leaves alternate or from the root; the flowers small and crowded in heads, with involucres, the bracts in one or several rows; the receptacle flat or flattish, sometimes naked or smooth, sometimes scaly, pitted or honeycombed; the flowers all perfect; the calyx-tube without pappus, or with pappus of scales or bristles, sometimes feathery; the corollas not of two sorts, like those of the Sunflower Family, but all with a strap-shaped border, usually five-toothed, and a short or long tube; the anthers united into a tube around the style, which is very slender and two-cleft or two-lobed; the ovary one-celled and inferior, developing into an akene.

There are several kinds of Ptiloria, of western and central North America.

Flowering-strawPtilòria pauciflòra (Stephanomeria runcinata)PinkSpringWest, etc.

In the desert this is a very strange-looking, pale plant, forming a scanty, straggling bush, about two feet high, with slender, brittle, gray stems, most of the leaves reduced to mere scales, and delicate, pale pinkish-lilac flowers, less than half an inch long. This grows on the plains, as far east as Texas, and is not always so leafless as in the picture, which is that of a desert plant, but has some coarsely-toothed leaves.

Desert PinkPtilòria Wrìghtii (Stephanomeria)PinkSummerAriz., New Mex.

Much like the last, but not a queer-looking plant, with pale green foliage and larger, prettier flowers, three-quarters of an inch long, giving the effect of tiny, pale pink carnations. This grows at the Grand Canyon.

Flowering-straw—Ptiloria pauciflora.Desert Pink—Ptiloria Wrightii.

There are a good many kinds of Agoseris, natives of western and southern North America and of southern South America.

Goat Chicory, Large-flowered AgoserisAgóseris glàucaYellowSpringUtah, Ida., Wash., etc.

A pretty perennial plant, about fourteen inches tall, with a slender, slightly woolly flower-stem, springing from a pretty cluster of smooth bluish-green leaves, sometimes toothless, and bearing a handsome bright yellow flower, from one to two inches across, the involucre often covered with white wool. This grows on dry slopes, as far east as Colorado.

There are a good many kinds of Malacothrix, natives of the western and southwestern United States.

Malácothrix glabràtaYellowSpringSouthwest, Nev., Utah

A very attractive plant, with several flower-stalks, from six inches to a foot tall, springing from a pretty feathery tuft of bright green root-leaves, cut into almost threadlike divisions and often tinged with deep red. The handsome flowers are nearly two inches across, clear very pale yellow, shading to brighter color towards the middle. This is common on open plains in southern California, where it passes almost gradually intoM. Califórnica, which is similar, but conspicuously woolly when young, covered with very long, soft hairs.

Snake's HeadMalácothrix CòulteriWhiteSpringCalifornia

A smooth plant, with a "bloom," from five to sixteen inches high, often branching from the base, the leaves cut into wavy lobes, with no leaf-stalk. The handsome flowers are about an inch across, white, turning pink in fading, the involucres with shining, papery, green and white bracts. This is one of the most conspicuous annuals in the San Joaquin Valley.M. saxàtilis, the Cliff Aster, is a handsome perennial, common in southern California and often growing on sea-cliffs. It has a leafy branching stem, from one to four feet high, the leaves toothless, or cut into slender divisions, and often quite fleshy, and many pretty flowers at the ends of the branches. They are each about an inch across, white, changing to pink or lilac, with an involucre of many narrow bracts, running down the flower-stalk. This is common insouthern California, blooming in summer and autumn.

Malacothrix glabrata.Goat Chicory—Agoserìs glauca.

Desert DandelionMalácothrix FéndleriYellowSpringArizona

An attractive little desert plant, about five inches tall, with stiffish, pale bluish-green leaves, forming a rosette, and pretty, very pale yellow flowers, nearly an inch across, like a delicate sort of Dandelion. It is a near relation of the common Dandelion and blooms early in the spring.

Salsify, Oyster PlantTragopògon porrifòliusPurpleSpring, summerWest, etc.

This is the common Salsify, the root of which is used as a vegetable. It is naturalized from Europe and is now quite common in the West as a "stray" and also in the East. It has a smooth, stout, hollow stem, from two to over four feet tall, rather dark green, smooth leaves, clasping at base, and handsome flowers from two to four inches across, which are a very peculiar shade of reddish-purple, not usually seen in flowers. They open early in the morning, closing by midday and fading almost immediately when picked, and may be seen growing along the edges of fields and just outside garden fences where they are often quite conspicuous. This plant has many common names, such as Jerusalem Star, Nap-at-noon, and Vegetable Oyster.

Desert ChicoryNemosèris Neo-Mexicàna (Rafinesquia)WhiteSpringAriz., New Mex.

A straggling desert plant, from a few inches to a foot and a half high, with smooth branching stems and smooth, very pale bluish-green leaves, rather thick in texture. The pretty flowers are from one to two inches across, white, tinged with pink or cream-color and a little yellow in the middle, often striped with magenta on the outside, and the bracts of the involucre tinged with pink and bordered with white.N. Califórnicais a branching plant, from one to five feet tall, with a stout stem and smooth oblong leaves, lobed, toothed, or almost toothless, and quite pretty flowers at the ends of the branches. They are about an inch across, white, often tinged with magenta on the outside. This grows in California and Oregon, usually in shady or moist places.

There are several kinds of Cichorium, natives of the Old World. The name is from the Arabic.

Salsify—Tragopogon porrifolius.Desert Chicory—Nemoseris Neo-Mexicana.Desert Dandelion—Malacothrix Fendleri.

Chicory, Blue SailorsCichòrium ÍntybusBlueSummer, autumnNorthwest, etc.

This is a straggling plant, from one to three feet tall, a perennial, with a long, deep tap-root, stiff, branching stems, and leaves irregularly slashed into toothed lobes and chiefly from the root. The pretty flowers are from an inch to an inch and a half across, much like those of Desert Chicory, but very brilliant blue, occasionally white. This plant has escaped from cultivation and is now very common in waste places and along roadsides in the East and often found in the West. The ground-up root is used as a substitute for coffee. There is a picture in Mathews'Field Book.

There are several kinds of Microseris, rather difficult to distinguish.

Silver-puffsMicrosèris linearifòliaYellowSpringSouthwest, Nev.

This is about a foot tall, with smooth, hollow flower-stems, smooth leaves, and rather small yellow flowers, not particularly pretty. The "gone-to-seed" flower-heads are, however, very conspicuous, for they are nearly an inch and a half across, and each seed is tipped by a little silvery paper star, the effect before the wind carries them away being exceedingly pretty, a good deal like a Dandelion puff. This grows in the Grand Canyon on the plateau.

There are many kinds of Sonchus, natives of the Old World.

Sow ThistleSónchus oleràceusYellowAll seasonsWest, etc.

A common weed, from Europe, found across the continent, coarse but decorative in form, with a stout leafy stem, from one to four feet tall, and smooth leaves, with some soft prickles on the edges, the upper ones clasping the stem and the lower ones with leaf-stalks. The pale yellow flowers are three-quarters of an inch or more across.

There are several kinds of Taraxacum, natives of the northern hemisphere and southern South America.

DandelionTaráxacum TaráxacumYellowAll seasonsU. S., etc.

This is a weed in all civilized parts of the world, growing in meadows, fields, and waste places. It has a thick, deep, bitter root, a tuft of root-leaves, slashed into toothed lobes, and several hollow flower-stalks, from two to eighteen inches tall,each bearing a single, handsome, bright yellow flower, from one to two inches across, which is succeeded by a beautiful silvery seed puff. This plant has many common names, such as Blow-ball, Monk's-head, Lion's-tooth, etc.

Sow Thistle—Sonchus oleraceus.Silver-puffs—Microseris linearifolia.

There are a great many kinds of Crepis, natives of the northern hemisphere.

Gray HawksbeardCrèpis occidentàlisYellowSpring, summerWest, etc.

This is a pretty plant, for the gray-green foliage sets off the yellow flowers. It is from six to eighteen inches high, more or less hairy or downy all over, with one or several, stout, branching, leafy stems, and thickish leaves, variously cut, mostly jagged like Dandelion leaves, with crisp margins, dark bluish-green in color and often covered on the under side with obscure white down, the root-leaves narrowed to leaf-stalks at the base. The flower-heads are about an inch across, with bright yellow rays, the involucre sprinkled with short, dark hairs. This grows on dry plains, as far east as Colorado.

Smooth HawksbeardCrèpis vìrensYellowSummerCal., Oreg., etc.

This is a weed from Europe, growing in fields and waste places, in the East and on the Pacific Coast. It is a smooth plant, from one to two feet tall, with green leaves the shape of Dandelion leaves, chiefly in a bunch at the root. The many, small, yellow flowers, each about a quarter of an inch long, are in a loose cluster at the top of the stem. This is very variable.

HawksbeardCrèpis acuminàtaYellowSpring, summerWest, except Ariz.

A handsome and conspicuous plant, often forming large clumps, from one to three feet tall, with dull green, downy, rather leathery leaves, irregularly slashed and cut, and large clusters of light bright yellow flowers, each about three-quarters of an inch across. This grows on hillsides and on high dry mesas.

Gray Hawksbeard—C. occidentalis.Hawksbeard—Crepis acuminata.

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