COMPOSITAE. 957 



34. Aster patulus Lam. SPREADING ASTER. (I. F. f. 3766.) Pubescent, 

 or nearly glabrous; stem 3-12 dm. high. Leaves oval, ovate, or oblong-lanceo- 

 late, sharply and irregularly serrate, rather thin, acute, acuminate, or blunt, the 

 lower 7-15 cm. long, 2.5-6 cm. wide, narrowed into margined petioles, the upper 

 sessile and somewhat clasping; heads numerous, panicled. about 25 mm. broad; 

 involucre campanulate, 6-8 mm. high, its bracts linear to linear lanceolate, acumi- 

 nate, not foliaceous. loosely imbricated in 3 or 4 series, the outer shorter; rays 

 violet-purple or rarely white. N. B. to N. H. Sept. 



35. Aster prenanthoides Muhl. CROOKED-STEM ASTER. (I. F. f. 3767.) 

 Stem glabrous, or pubescent in lines above, flexuous, much branched, 3-6 dm. 

 high. Leaves thin, oblong to ovate-lanceolate, sharply and coarsely serrate, sca- 

 brous above, glabrous or nearly so beneath, 7-15 cm. long, 18-35 mm - wide, acumi- 

 nate, abruptly narrowed below into a broad-margined entire petiole, the base 

 auriculate-clasping; heads usually numerous, 25 mm. broad or more; involucre 

 hemispheric, its bracts linear, acute, green, spreading, imbricated in 3 or 4 series, 

 the outer shorter; rays 20-30, violet, 8-12 mm. long; pappus tawny; achenes 

 pubescent. In moist soil, Mass, to Wis., south to W. Va., Ky. and Iowa. Aug.- 

 Oct. 



Aster prenanthoides porrectifolius Porter. Leaves narrowly lanceolate, much elon- 

 gated, sometimes 2 dm. long, gradually contracted into an entire clasping base. Penn. 



36. Aster laevis L. SMOOTH ASTER. (I. F. f. 3768.) Stem usually stout, 

 glabrous often glaucous, 6-12 dm. high, branched or simple. Leaves thick, entire, 

 or serrate, glabrous, slightly rough-margined, the upper all sessile and strongly 

 cordate-clasping, oblong-lanceolate, oblanceolate or ovate, acute or obtusish, 2-10 

 cm. long, 8-50 mm. wide, the basal and lower gradually narrowed into winged peti- 

 oles, those of the branches often small and bract-like; heads usually numerous, 

 about 25 mm. broad; involucre campanulate, its bracts rigid, acute, appressed, 

 green-tipped, imbricated in several series ; rays 15-30, blue or violet ; pappus 

 tawny; achenes glabrous or nearly so. Usually in dry soil, Me. and Ont. to Penn., 

 La., the N. W. Terr, and Kans. Sept. -Oct. 



Aster laevis amplif61ius Porter. Stout, somewhat fleshy; leaves broadly ovate, nar- 

 rowed toward the base, strongly clasping. Mass, to eastern Penn., Minn, and Mo. 



Aster laevis Potomacensis Burgess. Lower stem-leaves abruptly contracted into 

 winged petioles, sharply serrate; heads few, usually racemose; green tips of the bracts 

 broad, conspicuous. Md. and Va. 



37. Aster concinnus Willd. NARROW-LEAVED SMOOTH ASTER. (I. F. f. 

 3769.) Similar to narrow-leaved forms of Aster laevis, glabrous or sparingly 

 pubescent above; stem paniculately branched, 3-9 dm. high. Leaves light green, 

 lanceolate to linear, entire, or sometimes serrulate, the upper sessile, somewhat 

 clasping, 2-7 cm. long, the lower and basal ones spatulate, or oblong, narrowed 

 into margined petioles, sometimes coarsely toothed; heads usually numerous, about 

 25 mm. broad; bracts of the involucre with rhomboid acute herbaceous tips; rays 

 violet to purple. Conn, to Penn., Va., N. Car.(?) and Ark. 



38. Aster purpuratus Nees. SOUTHERN SMOOTH ASTER. (I. F. f. 3770.) 

 Stem slender, glabrous, simple, or branched above, 4-12 dm. high, the branches some- 

 times puberulent. Leaves firm, glabrous, dark green, entire, the upper sessile and 

 clasping at the base, elongated-lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 5-12 cm, 

 long, 4-8 mm. wide, the lower and basal ones petioled, oblong-lanceolate, obtusish, 

 those of the branches very small; heads rather few, loosely paniculate, 16-25 mm. 

 broad; involucre campanulate to turbinate, its bracts coriaceous, linear, appressed, 

 green-tipped, acute, imbricated in several series; rays 5-10, blue or violet, 6-10 

 mm. long; pappus tawny; achenes glabrous. Va. and W. Va. to Ga. and Tex. 

 Aug. -Sept. 



39. Aster junceus Ait. RUSH ASTER. (L F. f. 3771.) Stem very slender, 

 glabrous,, or minutely pubescent above, simple or little branched, 3-9 dm. high. 

 Leaves firm, glabrous, narrowly linear, entire, or sometimes with a few distant 

 teeth, acute or acuminate, sessile by a broad clasping and often slightly cordate 

 base, 7-15 cm. long, 3-8 mm. wide; heads paniculate, rather distant, about 25 

 mm. broad; involucre hemispheric, about 6mm. high, its bracts glabrous, linear- 

 subulate, very acute, imbricated in 3 or 4 series, the outer shorter; rays violet to 



