Wild-Flower Study 



559 



attached to its rim a ring of pappus, and is ballooned to its final destina- 

 tion. In November, the matured flower-heads are fuzzy, with seeds 

 ready for invitations from any passing wind to fly whither it listeth. 



LESSON CXXXVII 



THE ASTERS 



Leading thought There are very many different kinds of asters, and 

 they all have their flowers arranged similarly to those of the sunflower. 



Method Have the pupils collect 

 as many kinds of asters as possible, 

 being careful to get the basal leaves 

 and to take notes on where each 

 kind was found that is, whether in 

 the woodlands, by the brooksides 

 or in the open fields. This lesson 

 should follow that on the sunflower. 

 Observations i. What was the 

 character of the soil and surround- 

 ings where this'aster grew? Were 

 there large numbers of this kind 

 growing together? Were the flow- 

 ers wide open when you gathered 

 them? How soon did they close? 



2. How high did the plants 

 stand when growing? Were there 

 many flowers, or few, on each plant? 



3. Study the lower and the 

 upper leaves. Describe each as 

 follows: the shape, the size, the 

 edges, the way it was joined to the 

 stem. 



4. Is the stem many-branched 

 or few? Do the branches bearing 

 flowers extend in all directions? 

 Are the stems hairy or smooth, and 

 what is their color? 



5. What is the diameter of the 

 single flower-head? What is the 

 color of the ray-flowers? How 



banner-flowers are 

 is the shape of a 

 as compared with 



Asters. 



many ray or 



there ? What 



single banner 



that of a sunflower? What are the 



colors of the disk-flowers? Of the 



pollen ? Do the disk-flowers change color after blossoming? 



6. Look at the bracts below the flower-head. Are they all the same 

 shape? What is their color? Do they have recurved tips or do they 

 overlap closely? Are they sticky? 



7. Take the aster flower-head apart and look at it with a lens. In a 

 disk-flower, note the young seed, the pappus, the tubular five-parted 

 corolla, the anther tube and the stigmas. In the ray-flower, find the 

 young seed, the pappus and the stigma. >. _.] 



