Herbs, some species woody, with opposite entire or dentate leaves, and terminal peduncled heads of both tubular and radiate, white or yellow flowers in our species. Involucre hemispheric, its bracts in 2 series, the 4 or 5 outer ones broad, often connate at the base, the inner hooded, embracing or permanently surrounding the pistillate fertile ray-flowers. Receptacle convex or conic, chaffy. Ray-flowers in 1 series, the rays spreading, 2-3-lobed or entire. Disk-flowers perfect, sterile, their corollas with a narrowly campanulate 5-toothed limb, the anthers entire at the base, the style undivided. Achenes obovoid, more or less incurved. Pappus none. [Greek, black-foot, of doubtful significance, but the stem bases of the typical species are dark-colored.]

About 35 species, natives of the warmer parts of America. Besides the following, 2 or 3 others occur in the southwestern United States. Type species: Melampodium americanum L.

1. Melampodium Leucanthum T. & G. Plains Melampodium

Fig. 4419

Melampodium leucanthum T. & G. Fl. N. A. a: 271. 1842.

Perennial, woody at the base, branched, canes-cent, 4'-12' high, the branches slender. Leaves linear, lanceolate, or the lower spatulate, sessile, entire, or nearly so, canescent, 1'-2' long, 11/2'-3" wide, obtuse or obtusish at the apex; heads 1/2'-3/4' broad, terminating the branches; peduncles slender, 1 '-3' long; outer bracts of the involucre ovate or oval, obtuse, united below; rays 5-9, cuneate-oblong, white, 2-3-lobed, firm in texture, veiny, persistent; inner bracts turbinate or terete, hooded, muricate, the hood wider than the body.

In dry soil, Kansas to Colorado, Arizona, Texas and Mexico. June-Oct. Not distinguished, in our first edition, from M. cinereum DC. of Texas and northern Mexico.