Tas. 8728, 
ASTER FUuSCESCENS, 
Western China. 
CompositakE. Tribe ASTEROIDEAER. 
Aster, Linn. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 271, 
Aster fuscescens, Bur. et Franch. in Journ. de Bot. vol. v. p- 49 (1891) ; 
affinis A. scabro, Thunb., sed foliis latioribus petiolis inferioribus exalatis, 
involucri bracteis lineari-lanceolatis acute acuminatis dorso glanduloso- 
puberulis differt. 
Herba; caulis simplex, usque ad 6 dm. altus, robustus, medio circiter 6 mm, 
crassus, sulcatus, pilis crispatis pubescens. Folia inferiora longe petiolata, 
late ovata, basi rotundata vel truncata, brevissime cuneato-producta, apice 
rotundata, circiter 12 cm. longa et 10 cm. lata, tenuiter chartacea, repando- 
dentata, dentibus conspicue mucronatis, utrinque praecipue in nervis parce 
pubescentia ; nervi laterales utrinsecus circiter 4, marginem versus ramosi, 
infra prominentes ; folia superiora breviter petiolata vel interdum sub- 
sessilia, late ovata ad ovato-lanceolata, subacuta, denticulata; petioli 
inferiores usque ad 16 cm. longi, haud alati, pilis minutis reflexis pube- 
scentes. Corymbi subglobosi, multicapitulati, circiter 12 cm. diametro, 
ramulis glanduloso-hirsutis, bracteis parvis subfoliaceis. Capitula circiter 
3 cm. diametro, involucri bracteae circiter 3-seriatae, usque ad 8 mm. 
longae, lineari-lanceolatae, acute acuminatae, dorso glanduloso-puberulae, 
marginibus anguste membranaceis. Flores radii circiter 15, a basi patulo 
leviter incurvati, violacei; corollae tubus 1 mm. longus, glaber ; limbus 
_ linearis, apice 3-denticulatus, circiter 1 em. longus. Flores disci numerosi, 
ochracei; corollae tubus subcylindricus, 5 mm. longus, glaber, breviter 
5-lobus. Pappus fuscus, 6 mm. longus, minute barbellatus. Achaenia 
anguste cbovoidea, leviter compressa, parce pubescentes.—J. HuTcHINson. 
Aster fuscescens is a species originally discovered in 1889 
by the late Abbé Delavay, in the Tsang-chang mountains, 
Yunnan. It was met with again in 1890 near Ta-chien-lu, 
in Szechuan, by Prince Henri d’Orléans and Mr. Bonvalot, 
and was first described from their specimens. The 
species bears considerable resemblance to the well-known 
A. scaber, Thunb., which also occurs in Yunnan and 
Szechuan, but extends thence northwards as far as Corea 
and Japan. From that species A. fuscescens differs in 
its more rounded leaves, its less winged petiole, and 
particularly in the linear-lanceolate, acutely acuminate, © 
glandular-puberulous bracts of the involucre; the flower- — 
_ SEPTEMBER, 1917. | ' 
