Bellis COMl'OSITAE Aster 



5. Bellis Linn. Daisy ^frM (Yen Ming Chii Shu) 



Low stemless herb with basal lvs: heads solitary on naked peduncles, radiate; 

 receptacle conical, naked: rays white or rose-colored: disk fls. yellow: pappus none. 10 

 species, in Europe and the Mediterranean region; one cultivated in China. (Latin: 

 bellus, pretty.) 



1. Bellis perennis Linn. English Daisy %k£$Wi (Yen Ming Chii; Long-life Chrysanthemum) 

 (B.M.1004). Tufted perennial, to 1.5dm.; fls. white or rose, II-IV; lvs. obovate. 

 Introduced from western Europe; locally in Ku. Cultivated, ornamental. Fig. 369. 



6. Callistephus Cass. ^-^M (Ts'ui Chii Shu) 

 Coarse herbs with alternate incised lvs. and large radiate heads, solitary at the 

 ends of the brs. ; bracts of the involucre in many series, the outer herbaceous, the inner 

 membranous: rays of various colors, but not yellow: disk fls. yellow: fr. compressed; 

 pappus of 2 rows of bristles, the outer series minute. One species, in eastern Asia. 

 (Greek: kallos, beautiful; and stcphos crown; referring to the fruit.) 



1. Callistephus chinensis (L.) Ness China Aster ^H (Ts'ui Chii; Brilliant Chry- 

 santhemum) (B.M.1004). Erect annual, to lm.; fls. red, purple, white, IX-X; 

 heads 5-8 cm. in diam. Eastern Asia; locally in An., Che., Ki., Ku. Cultivated, 

 up ornamental. 



7. Aster Linn. ^^M (Tzu Wan Shu) 

 Erect Ify. -stemmed perennial herbs, rarely shrubby, with alternate lvs.: heads 

 radiate, in panicles or corymbs, rarely solitary, with overlapping involucral bracts in 

 several series; receptacle flat or convex, alveolate: ray fls. in a single series, white, 

 blue, purple or pink: disk fls. yellow; style brs. acute: pappus of numerous slender 

 bristles. 250 species, most abundant in North America; 60 in China. (Greek: Aster, 

 a star; from the radiate heads.) 



Key to the Species 



a. Lvs. (at least the lower and middle) ovate, at base broadly rounded 



to cordate, conspicuously petioled, rough to the touch above .... 3. A. sender 

 aa. Lvs. linear to lanceolate or oblong-ovate, tapering at base, sessile or 

 short-petioled. 

 b. Lvs. sessile and clasping: stem densely hirsute and also glandular. . 2. A. fordii 

 bb. Lvs. sometimes sessile but not clasping: stem pubescence otherwise, 

 c. Pappus normal, about as long as disk corolla. 



Heads numerous in dense corymbose clusters, small (the white 

 rays about 3 mm. long); the pedicels mostly 5 mm. long 

 or less: lvs. narrowly lanceolate or elliptic, entire; the 



middle ones about 5-10 mm. wide 1 . A. fastigiatus 



Heads in loose corymbose clusters, larger (the blue rays 

 mostly 7-10 mm. long); the pedicels mostly 1-3 cm. long: 

 lvs. lanceolate to oblong-ovate, usually toothed; the 



middle ones 1.5-5 cm. wide 6. A. ctgeratoides 



cc. Pappus greatly reduced, much shorter than disk corolla, often 

 of united scales. 

 Lvs. (at least the middle and upper) linear-lanceolate to 

 narrowly lanceolate, entire, densely and finely gray- 

 puberulent 4 . A. pekiveiisis 



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