Tap. 8476, 
ASTER PuRDOMII. 
China. — 
Compositak. ‘Tribe ASTEROIDEAE. 
Aster, Linn.: Benth. et Hook, f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 271. 
Aster Purdomii, Hutchinson ; species inter asiaticis foliis radicalibus petiolatis 
ovatis vel ovato-ellipticis, 2-3-denticulatis, pappi setis externis quam 
internis multo brevioribus valde distincta. 
Herba circiter 15 em. alta. Cau/is monocephalus, ad basin paucifoliatus, 
ceterum nudus, purpureo-viridis, pilis refl-xis pubescens. Folia radicalia 
pauca, petiolata, ovata vel ovato-elliptica, apice obtusa. basi rotundata vel 
leviter cuneata, 8-8-5 cm. longa, 2-2°5 cm. lata, chartacea, margine 
utrinque 2-3-denticulata, supra basin trinervia, utrinque breviter setuloso- 
pubescentia, nervis supra immersis snbtus elevatis; caulina sessilia, 
oblongo-lanceolata, subacuta, ad 3 em. longa et 2 cm. lata, integra vel 
subintegra, breviter pubescentia, Capitulum 6 cm. diametro; involucri 
bracteae subtriseriatae, recurvatae, lineari-lanceolatae, mrucronulatae, 
inter se subaequales, 1 em. longae, 2 mm. latae, virides, albo-ciliatae, 
extra pilosae pilis basi nigris, intus inferne glabrae, superne appresse 
pubescentes. Fores radii circiter 40; tubus subnullus; lamina lineari- 
lanceolata, apice bifida vel trifida, 2°5 cm. longa, 3-5 mm. lata, pailide 
violacea, medio 7-nervia; stylus 7 mm. longus. Flores diset numerosi, 
pallide flavi; tubus 5 mm. longus, infra medium _constrictus viridisque, 
medio parce pilosus; lobi lanceolati, subobtusi, 125 mm. longi, aurantiaci ; 
ovarium 2 mm. longum, pubescens; pappus biseriatus, externus vx 1 mm. 
longus, internus filiformis, 6 mm. longus, barbellatus.—J. HUTCHINSON. 
The pleasing little Aster here figured was discovered by 
Mr. W. Purdom, while collecting on behalf of Messrs. 
J. Veitch and Sons, at Tai-pei-shan in the province of 
Shensi, Northern China. It flowered for the first time In 
the nursery of Messrs. Veitch at Coombe Wood in May 1912, 
and the material for our illustration was derived from one 
of their plants. In habit A. Purdomii resembles some of 
the forms of the widely distributed A. alpinus, Linn., 
figured long ago at t. 199 of this work, but it may be 
- distinguished from this and indeed from all the other 
Asters of Asia by the distinctly stalked ovate or ovate- 
ae elliptic radical leaves with two or three small marginal 
teeth, which are associated with flowering stems that are 
_ Sanvary, 1918, , 
