Stem.—Silky, with long weak hairs when young. Leaves.—Alternate, oblong. Flower-heads.—Golden-yellow, rather large, composed of both ray and disk-flowers.
In dry places along the roadsides of Southern New York and farther south, one can hardly fail to notice in late summer and autumn the bright clusters of the golden aster.
C. falcata is a species which may be found in dry sandy soil as far north as Massachusetts, with very woolly stems, crowded linear leaves, and small, clustered flower-heads.
Golden-rod.
Solidago. Composite Family (p. [13]).
Flower-heads.—Golden-yellow, composed of both ray and disk-flowers.
About eighty species of golden-rod are native to the United States: of these forty-two species can be found in our Northeastern States. Many of them are difficult of identification, and it would be useless to describe any but a few of the more conspicuous forms.
PLATE LV
BLACK-EYED SUSAN.—R. hirta.
A common and noticeable species which flowers early in August is S. Canadensis, with a tall stout stem from three to six feet high, lance-shaped leaves, which are usually sharply toothed and pointed, and small flower-heads clustered along the branches which spread from the upper part of the stem.
Another early flowering species is S. rugosa. This is a lower plant than S. Canadensis, with broader leaves. Still another is the dusty golden-rod, S. nemoralis, which has a hoary aspect and very bright yellow flowers which are common in dry fields.