934 Compositae Aster 



Leaves lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, less than 8.3 times 



as long as wide 29. A. laterifloms. 



Leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, more than 8.3 times as 



long as wide 29a. A. laterifloms var. angustifolius. 



Plants not as above. 

 Involucres 4-5.5 mm long; heads on long, ascending branch- 

 lets, 12-15 mm wide (including the rays); branchlets 

 longer than the subtending leaves, usually 1-2 cm long 

 or up to 4 cm long or longer; lobes of disk flowers 0.4-0.8 

 mm long, 21%-36% of the total length of the limb; limb 

 funnel-shaped; leaves of branchlets abruptly smaller than 

 the cauline, very small, linear, generally mucronate- 

 pointed. 

 Leaves of the branches and branchlets mostly spreading or 

 refiexed; cauline leaves 4-7 mm wide, 3-5 cm long; 



rays 19-26 30. A. dumosus. 



Leaves of branches and branchlets mostly ascending; cau- 

 line leaves linear, 5-7.6 mm wide, 7-11 cm long; in- 

 florescence rather small and terminal, the branches 



ascending; rays 13-16 (20) 



30a. A. dumosus var. strictior. 



Involucres 3-3.6 mm long; heads numerous, 6-10 mm wide, 

 mostly on very short branchlets, the branchlets longer 

 or shorter than the subtending leaves; leaves of the 

 branchlets abruptly smaller than the cauline, linear, with 

 indurated tips; lobes of disk flowers 0.6-0.8 mm long, 

 38% -41% of the total length of the limb; limb funnel- 

 shaped; rays 15-22 (25) 31. A. viminens. 



Heads not in 1-sided racemes; inflorescence paniculate, heads scat- 

 tered or somewhat clustered at the ends of the branches in 

 no. 16. 

 Veinlets of under surface of blades conspicuous, the areas en- 

 closed by them about as long as wide; tall plants with 

 reddish brown stems; branches and branchlets very leafy; 

 leaves a yellowish green, thick, glossy, slightly revolute 

 with strongly involute, indurated tips, covered above more 

 or less with short, stout, forward-pointing hairs, especially 

 near the margins and at the apical end; flowers in dense 

 racemose clusters toward the ends of the branches; rays 

 light lavender. 

 Leaves of the branches linear or linear-lanceolate or nar- 

 rowly elliptic-lanceolate, very acute. 

 Leaves of stem and branches lanceolate to narrowly elliptic- 

 lanceolate, those of the primary branches 6-10 times as 



long as broad 16. A. praealtus. 



Leaves of the stem and branches linear or nearly so, those 

 of the primary branches about 11 times as long as 



broad 16a. A. praealtus var. angustior. 



Leaves of the branches, at least the ultimate ones, broadly 



elliptic-lanceolate or oval, often obtuse 



16b. A. praealtus var. subasper. 



Veinlets of the under surface of the blades not conspicuous, the 

 areas enclosed by them longer than broad; stem and 

 branches not as leafy as the preceding; leaves dark green, 

 thinner than the preceding, usually flat, and not involute at 

 the tip, not glossy, more or less pubescent above, but the 



