1'J6 COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



3. Heads much crowded in a terminal compound corymb. 



S. rigida, in drv soil, a tall and stunt specie-, minutely hoary-downy and 

 roughish, the thick oval or oh!on u leaves with a strong midrib ; the remarkably 

 large heads as many as .'iO-Howei-ed. 



S. lanceolata, along river-hanks, only 2 -3 high, very bushy-branched, 

 nearly smooth, with lance-linear :{ - r>-nervcd have-, mid dense flat corymbs of 



small' heads .>e-Mle iii clusters, the small rays 15-20, the di.-k-rlowers fewer. 



S. tenuif61ia, in sandy ground, usually near the coast ; like the |ireceding, 

 hut more slender, with narrow linear mostly 1-nerved dotted leaves, and nar- 

 rower or club-shaped heads, the small rays G- 12. 



35. CALLISTEPHUS, CHINA-ASTER. (Name from Greek words 



me&mng beautiful crown.) Fl. all summer, (i) 



C. Chinensis, the well-known CHINA- ASTKR, of the gardens, a native of 

 China and Japan, has numerous varieties of various colors, the finest full- 

 double. 



36. ASTER, STARWORT, ASTER. (Name, aster, a star.) This va-t 

 genus (with which SERICOCARPUS and Dii-Loi j Ai'i'fS may he here included) 

 is too difficult for beginners, and those who are prepared for their study will 

 naturally use the Manual for the northern species, and Chapman's Southern 

 Flora for the few that arc peculiarly southern. ' We barely mention the com- 

 monest and more distinct or striking of our 40 or 50 wild species. Fl. late 

 summer and autumn. JJ. 



1. With heart-shaped and petioled leaves, at least the lower ones. 

 * Heads in open corymbs, middle-sized : rays white or nearly so and rather few. 



In woodlands, rather early-flowering. 

 A. corymb6sus, CORYMBED ASTEU. Rather slender, with thin coarsely- 



toothed and sharp-pointed leaves, which are considerably longer than broad, 



and only 6-9 rays. 



A. macrophyllus, LAU<;I:-I.EAVED A. Larger and stouter, 2-3 high, 



with broader and thickish rather rough leaves, and more rigid corymbs of larger 



heads, with 12 -21 rays. 



* * Ucail.* jtanii-li'd, i/ii/ntroiis and small. In woodlands, A-<\ 



A. COrdifblius, HEART-LEAVED A., is smooth or smoothNh, much 

 branched, \\ith thiniii-h serrate leaves on slender petioles, and very numerous 

 loosely paniclcd small heads, the rays pale blue or whitish. 



A. undulatus, WAVY-I.I:AVI.H A., is minutely downy, with the leaves only 

 slightlv toothed or wavv, the lowest heart-shaped and on margined petioles, the 

 upper abruptly contracted into short and broadly winged petioles with dilated 

 and clasping base, or else sessile by a heart--haped ha-e ; th.- heads larger and 

 in narrow or raceme-like panicles, and with rather showy purple-bine rays. 



2. With loin-r luin-s in n r linirf-.*lin/d, tin- upper ones sessi/t uml p'trtli/ 



'"!/ ''.'/ " li'iir/-s/iii/ml in- inir/c/iil /HIS, : linls hin/f or nit/ii r lar<je, shvucy, 

 the iiiiiiirntii.'i i-tij/s finr/ili' <>r l>ini . 



# Scales of the iiinifitcrr imt nt all lifi/. lit >ri//i short greenish tips, rigid, close- 

 pnxxitl in inn //i/ run/.:*, t/if unti r .titmssin/ii s/mrtt r : rays deep-colored: 

 leaves entire or nearly so. / >ry </''""'/* 



A. patens, SPUKADINC, A. Rough with short hairiness, l-3 high, with 

 long uidelv s])readiug branches, and sinu'le large heads terminating the slender 

 minutelv-leaved branehlet-; all the stem-leaves clasping, usually lance-oblong 

 or laiiee-nvate, the larger ones ol'ten contracted above the heart-shaped base, 

 rough-edged; nn s deep purple-violet. 



A. Iffivis, SMOOIH A. Well-known by its perfect -moothness, pale, often 

 glaucous, with lanceolate or lance-ovate leave.-, heads middle-sized in a rather 

 close panicle, involucre of close-pressed whitish scales with abrupt green tips, 

 and rays sky-blue. 



