heads of A. fuscescens are moreover distinctly larger than 
these of A. scaber. The plant figured was grown from 
seed presented to Kew in 1914 by Messrs. Bees. These 
seeds had been collected in western China by Mr. F. K. 
Ward. A hardy perennial which grows vigorously and 
ripens its seeds freely in a herbaceous border, A. Juscescens 
is well worth cultivating. At Kew it reaches a height 
of about two feet. 
Descriprion.— Herb ; stem simple, up to 2 ft. in height, stout, } in. thick, 
ridged, pubescent with crisp rather reflexed hairs. Leaves near base of stem 
long petioled, wide ovate, rounded at the tip, rounded or truncate and shortly 
* cuneate at the base, about 5 in. long, 4 in. wide, thinly papery, repand-toothed, 
teeth distinctly mucronate, sparsely pubescent on both surfaces, but especially 
on the nerves; lateral nerves about 4 along each side of the midrib, branching 
towards the leaf-margin, raised on the under surface; upper leaves shortly 
petioled or sometimes nearly sessile, wide ovate to ovate-lanceolate, subacute, 
denticulate ; lower petioles up to 6} in. long, not winged, finely pubescent with 
short reflexed hairs. Corymbs somewhat globose, many-flowered, about 6 in. 
across; twigs glandular-hairy, bracts small, rather leafy. Heads about 1} in, 
across ; bracts of the involucre about 3-seriate, up to } in, long, linear-lanceolate, 
acutely acuminate, glandular-pubescent on the back, the margins narrow, 
membranous. Ray-florets about 15, slightly incurved from the spreading base, 
violet ; corolla-tube .\, in. long, glabrous ; limb linear, minutely 3-toothed at 
the tip, over 2 in. long. Disk-florets many, yellowish ; corolla-tube almost 
cylindric, 2 in. long, glabrous, shortly 5-lobed. Pappus tawny, } in. long, 
finely oe Achenes narrow obovoid, slightly compressed, sparingly 
pubescen: 
Tas. 8728,—Fig, a young flower-head; 2 ray-floret; 3, pappus-bristle, 
4, disk-floret ; 5, anthers; 6, style-arms; 7, an achene, the pappus removed :— 
