OF ARTS AND SCIENCES : MAY 13, 1873. 647 



Aster. We should receive the genus in all the extent it now re- 

 assumes, Machceranthera included, although that on the whole well 

 bears separation, as does Diplopappus section Triplopappus. But the 

 separation of Nuttall's Dieteria from the section Machceranthera and its 

 reference to Euaster does not seem to be called for. The general bi- 

 ennial or even annual character, which is foreign to true Aster, as well 

 as the tendency to pinnatifid or incised leaves, belongs to both alike ; 

 the style-appendages are narrow in both ; and the achenium of Dieteria, 

 equally with that of Machceranthera, has several slender nerves on the 

 faces, as well as a strong rib on each margin. I may here append the 

 note, that — 



Aster tenuifolius Linn., as the Linnosan herbarium shows, and 

 the character confirms, is founded on the plant known as A. flexuosus 

 Nutt. To this alone (and not to Plukenet's plant) the phrase " pedun- 

 culis foliolosis " and the added descriptive notes relate. 



Aster subulatus Michx. is truly the name to be preserved for 

 our common northern maritime Oxytripolium, the original A. linifo- 

 lius of Linnasus (Hort. Cliff, etc.) being really a Galatella. 



Aster arenarioides D. C. Eaton, in herb., is the name which 

 should be borne by the plant described and figured as Eriyeron steno- 

 phyllum Eaton in Bot. King, p. 152, t. 17 (not E. stenophyllum Gray, 

 PI. Fendl.), a species which most resembles A. pauciflorus Nutt. in its 

 more slender form, but has only 2-nerved ovaries, a different glandu- 

 losity, etc. The akenes of A. pauciflorus are delicately 8 - 10-nerved. 

 Bentham's character of Oxytripolium needs extending iu this respect 

 on account of more than one species. 



Brachyactis Ledeb. On the whole it seems clearly preferable to 

 adopt this genus ; but, as extended by Mr. Bentham, it includes two 

 types, of somewhat different affinities. The original B. ciliata has 

 lanceolate-subulate style-appendages, narrow and rather turgid achenia, 

 with a large epigynous disk and marginal nerves rather inconspicuous, 

 aud a simple pappus of copious equal bristles. To this, as I long ago 

 observed, belongs Tripolium anyustum Lindl. But I confounded with 

 it a second species, of more southern range, which Mr. Bentham has 

 now distinguished (as var. camosula, in Hook. Ic. sub 1106), and 

 which has not only broader and more foliaceous involucral scales, but 

 also distinct (purple) ligules much exceeding the style. As this must 

 be Nuttall's Tripolium frondosum, although his specimens are too young 

 to show it clearly, it may take the name of B. frondosa. These two 



