Genus 31. 



THISTLE FAMILY 



25. Aster phlogifolius Muhl. Thin-leaved 

 Purple Aster. Fig. 4306. 



A. phlogifolius Muhl.; Willd. Sp. PI. 3: 2034. 1804. 



Aster patens var. phlogifolius Nees, Gen. & Sp. Ast. 

 49- 1832. 



Similar to the preceding species, usually taller. 

 Leaves larger, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 

 entire, thin, or membranous, acuminate at the 

 apex, strongly auriculate-clasping at the base, 

 roughish above, pubescent beneath, usually nar- 

 rowed below the middle, sometimes 6' long ; heads 

 usually numerous, i'-2 broad, panicled. or some- 

 what racemose on the branches ; bracts of the 

 involucre lanceolate, glabrate, rather loose, with 

 herbaceous tips; rays numerous, purple-blue. 



In woods and thickets, New York to Ohio, North 

 Carolina and Tennessee. Perhaps a sylvan race of 

 the preceding species. Aug. -Sept. 



26. Aster novae-angliae L. New England 

 Aster. Fig. 4307. 



Aster novae-angliae L. Sp. PI. 875. 1753. 



A. roseus Desf. Cat. Hort. Paris, Ed. 3, 401. 1812. 



Stem stout, hispid pubescent, corymbosely 

 branched above, 2-^8 high, very leafy. Leaves 

 lanceolate, entire, rather thin, acute, pubescent, 

 2'-s' long, 6"-i2" wide, clasping the stem by an 

 auriculate or broadly cordate base ; heads nu- 

 merous, i'-z' broad, clustered at the ends of the 

 branches ; involucre hemispheric, its bracts linear- 

 subulate, somewhat unequal, green, spreading, 

 pubescent and more or less glandular, viscid; 

 rays 40-50, linear, s"-8" long, violet-purple, 

 rarely pink or red, or white ; achenes pubes- 

 cent ; pappus reddish-white. 



In fields and along swamps, Quebec to Saskatche- 

 wan, South Carolina, Alabama, Kansas and Colo- 

 rado. One of the most beautiful of the genus. 

 Aug.-Oct. 



27. Aster oblongifolius Nutt. Aromatic 

 Aster. Fig. 4308. 



Aster oblongifolius Nutt. Gen. 2: 156. 1818. 



Aster oblongifolius var. rigidulus A. Gray, Syn. Fl. I : 



Part 2, 179. 1884. 

 Aster Kumleinii Fries; Rydb. Fl. Colo. 354. 1906. 



Stem much branched, hirsute-pubescent, l-2i a 

 high, the branches divaricate or ascending. Leaves 

 crowded, oblong, or oblong-lanceolate, sessile by 

 a broad, partly clasping base, usually rigid, en- 

 tire, acute or mucronulate at the apex, rough or 

 hispidulous on both sides, rough-margined, those 

 of the stem 1/-2' long, 2"-4" wide, those of the 

 branches gradually smaller ; heads corymbose, 

 nearly 1' broad; involucre hemispheric, its bracts 

 much imbricated, glandular, aromatic, linear or 

 linear-oblong, the acute green tips spreading ; rays 

 20-30, violet-purple, rarely rose-pink, 3"-5 ' long ; 

 pappus light brown ; achenes canescent. 



On prairies and bluffs, central Pennsylvania to 

 Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Vir- 

 ginia, Tennessee and Texas. Races differ in leaf- 

 form and pubescence. Plant odorous. Aug.-Oct. 



27 



