Pubescent perennial herbs, with opposite and basal petioled leaves, and slender-peduncled-axillary and terminal, rather large heads of both tubular and radiate, yellow flowers. Involucre hemispheric, its bracts in 2 series of 5, the outer large, obovate or spatulate, foliaceous, the inner oval, firm, each subtending a pistillate ray-flower. Receptacle chaffy, each scale subtending and partly enclosing a perfect but sterile tubular flower with a 5-toothed corolla. Anthers nearly entire at the base. Achenes obovate, compressed, their margins acute, not winged, 1-nerved on the back, 1-2-ribbed on the inner side. Pappus a short half-cup-shaped crown. [Greek, golden-knee.]

A monotypic genus of eastern North America.

1. Chrysogonum Virginianum L. Chryso-Gonum

Fig. 4428

Chrysogonum virginianum L. Sp. Pl. 920. 1753.

Chrysogonum virginianum dentatum A. Gray, Bot. Gaz. 7:31. 1882.

Perennial by rootstocks or runners, pubescent or hirsute throughout, branched from the base, or at first acaulescent, 3'-12' high. Leaves ovate or oblong, obtuse or acutish at the apex, the upper sometimes subcordate at the base, dentate or crenate-dentate, rather thin, 1'-3' long, 1/2'-2' wide, the basal ones with petioles as long as the blade or longer, those of the upper one shorter; peduncles 1'-4' long; heads 1'-1 1/2' broad; outer bracts of the involucre obtuse or acute; rays about 5, 4"-7" long.

In dry soil, southern Pennsylvania to Florida and Alabama. April-July.