small heads, short rays, and not compressed achenes; and 
from Hrigeron in the single row of ray-flowers. M. albescens 
differs from its congeners in having a blue ray. It re- 
sembles Aster sikkimensis (Plate 4557) in the stems 
forming almost perfect wood the first year, full of leaf-buds 
in the late autumn, which die down to the root in most 
winters ; but in the present very mild one are persistent up 
to this date (January 27th). 
Microglossa albescens inhabits the temperate regions of 
the whole length of the Himalaya, from Kishtwar to 
Sikkim and Bhotan; ascending to 9000 feet in the west, 
and to 12,000 feet in the east; it has been repeatedly 
introduced, and flourishes at Kew against a south wall, 
flowering in June and July, but not ripening seed. 
Desor. An undershrub, two to four feet high ; branches 
slender, leaves beneath and inflorescence clothed with 
hoary whitish pubescence. Leaves three to five inches 
long, shortly petioled, lanceolate, acuminate, quite entire, 
nerves inconspicuous, base acute, light. green above. 
Heads one-third of an inch in diameter, very numerous, in 
copiously branched axillary and terminal corymbiform 
peduncles ; branches and peduncles slender. “Involucre 
campanulate; inner bracts narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 
outer shorter. Ligules pale blue, quite horizontal, variable 
in breadth; disk-flowers prominent, yellow. Achenes 
narrow, angled and strongly ribbed, pubescent; rather 
shorter than the red pappus—J. D. H. 
Fig. 1, Head ; 2, receptacle and part of involucre; 3, ray-flower; 4, its style- 
arms; 5, corolla of disk-flower ; 6, stamens ; 7, style-arms of disk-flower ; 8, achene 
and pappus ; 9, pappus hair :—all enlarged, 
