Aster. COMPOSITE. 135 



elongated ; leaves narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, the margin (and often 

 the upper surface) scabrous; the lower ones somewhat serrate ; those of the 

 branchlets linear, obliquely spreading ; scales of the involucre in the termi- 

 nal heads loose, and nearly equal, linear; of the others imbricated, reflexed 

 at the summit. Nees.— Willd. enum. 2: j). 886; (Pwr.y/i, Jl. 2. p. 557?) 

 Nees, Ast. p. 95 ; DC. prodr. 5. p. 240. 



North America, WiUdenow. (Low sandy fields. New Jersey to Virginia, 

 Pursh ; who, however, probably had a dilferent species in view.) Near 

 Boston, Dr. Boott! Dr. Greene! in herh. Hook.) New York, Mr. Broimne! 

 Sept.-Oct. — Tlie few specimens we have seen agree very well with the 

 character of Willdenow, and that of Nees, whicli we have copied. They 

 belong to a good-sized plant, with very numerous and rigid ascending (race- 

 mose) branches, which terminate in loose corymbs. The cauline leaves 

 (3-5 inches long and 4-5 lines broad) are rather rigid, serrulate whh scat- 

 tered appressed teeth, the upper surface more or less scabrous ; the upper- 

 most and those of the branches short, partly clasping and sometimes slightly 

 dilated at the base. The heads are rather smaller than in A. prsaltus, but 

 very similar, except that those which terminate the leafy branchlets present 

 a much more foUaceous involucre ; the numerous exterior scales being en- 

 tirely herbaceous, thickish, broadly linear, obtuse or mucronale-acute, often 

 as long as the disk, loose, at length squarrose-spreading ; the outermost simi- 

 lar to the leaves of the branchlets : in the lateral heads, when these are pro- 

 duced, the scales are regularly imbricated, as in A. praeahus. The rays ap- 

 pear to be purplish-blue~. Although he has placed the two species at some 

 distance from each other, Nees appears to suspect that his A. laxus may pass 

 into A. prsaltus ; which is most probably the case. Indeed these two species, 

 as well as A. elodes and A. Novi-Belgii, seem to be connected by a series of 

 intermediate forms. 



55. A. 2^'rcealtus (Poir.) : stem or branches mostly hairy in lines, race- 

 mose-paniculate or corymbose at the summit; leaves lanceolate, partly 

 clasping, acute, entire, or obscurely appressed-serrate, glabrous, with sca- 

 brous margins, the upper surface somewhat shining, smooth, or slightly 

 scabrous towards the apex and margins ; the lower narrowed towards the 

 base ; scales of the involucre unequal, loosely imbricated in 3 or 4 series, 

 linear-lanceolate, acute, often with the tips spreading ; rays rather large. — 

 Poir. suppl. 1. p. 493 ; Nees, Ast. p. 71 ; DC. proclr. 5. p. 236. A. sali- 

 cifolius, Ait. Kew. {ed. 1) 3. p. 203? {Pursh, fl. 2. p. 549?); Bigel. fl. 

 Bost. ed. 2. J). 309. A. virgatus, Nees, synops. p. 27. 



JVIoist woods and rocky banks of streams. New Hampshire ! Massachu- 

 setts ! and perhaps throughout the Northern States. Aug.-Oct. — Stem I to 

 6 or 6 feet high, often rather slender and flexuous, frequently hairy or pubes- 

 cent throughout when young, at length smooth and glabrous except in lines, 

 often purple, branched near tlie summit; the branches somewhat racemose 

 or racemose-compound, rather rigid ; the branchlets short, and usually form- 

 ing a more or less fastigiate or thyrsoid-corymbose inflorescence. Radical 

 or primordial leaves spatulate-oblong, 1-2 inches long, obtuse, nearly entire, 

 tapering into a somewhat ciliate margined short petiole, sheathing at the 

 base ; all the lower ones often hairy on the midrib when young. Cauline 

 leaves about 4 inches long, 5-8 lines wide, tapering gradually to an acute 

 point, of a firm texture, pale and very smooth beneath, with a narrow promi- 

 nent midrib, bright green above, usually a little scabrous only towards the 

 summit; the veins forming loose open reticula'ions, which are ratlier con- 

 spicuous in the older leaves; the upper usually with a more or less dilated 

 or auriculate insertion. Heads rather large and showy. Involucre as long 

 as the disk ; the scales numerous, pale and often somewhat narrowed to- 

 wards the base, slightly ciliate, lierbaceous above, mostly with sliglit mem- 

 branaceous margins. Rays violet or pale blue, pretty large in the wild 



