Aster. COMPOSITE. 137 



lanceolate, somewhat unequal, ratlier closely imbricated in about 3 series, 

 with broadish acute herbaceous tips ; rays numerous, mostly large. — Linn. ! 

 hort. Cliff, p. 108, S^- spec. 2. p. 877; Ait. Kew. (ed. 1) 3. p. 206 ; Pursh, 

 fi. 2. p. 554; Nees! Ast. p. 79; DC! prodr. 5. p. 238, (excl. syn. A. 

 floribundus, Nutt.) A. Novi-Belgii latifohus, &c. Herm. Lugd. p. 66, t. 69. 

 A. serotinus, Willd. spec. 3. p. 2049 (partly), fide Nees. A. lajvigatus, 

 Pursh,fl. 2. p. 553 ? — The following varieties are enumerated by Nees, all 

 described from garden specimens: Var. a. amplifiorus ; the original species, 

 as characterized above, (branches simply racemose, the large heads some- 

 what corymbose ; ray ample, &c.) Var. /3. squarrosus : leaves lanceolate, 

 rather more elongated ; branches simply racemose, with the heads somewhat 

 corymbose ; ray broad and dense ; scales of the involucre somewhat equal, 

 the exterior squarrose-spreading, often foliaceous and elongated. (A. junceus, 

 recurvatus, and adulterinus, of some gardens). Var. j. serus : stem taller; 

 ray dense, flesh-colored, whitish towards the disk. Var. 8. minor : leaves 

 lanceolate, attenuate ; the branches crowded, dichotomous-corymbose, many- 

 flowered ; ray shorter and not so dense ; scales of the involucre loosely im- 

 bricated, unequal; flowers smaller; stem lower. (A. floribundus, Willd. 

 spec. 3. p. 2048, S^- enum. 2. p. 885, S^v.) — The indigenous jjlant varies: 

 1. Heads (ample) solitary or nearly so on short axillary branchlets, often 

 much shorter than the leaves. — 2. Heads (rather large)"in clusters or short 

 crowded racemes at the summit of axillary branches, which are either shorter 

 or longer than the can line leaves, racemose along the stem or aggregated and 

 somewhat corymbose at the summit. — 3. Heads (smaller), racemose or ra- 

 cemose-paniculate towards the summit of numerous slender branches, which 

 are racemose along the stem, the upper fastigiate ; scales of the involucre 

 narrower; ray shorter. 



Borders of swamps and moist ground, from near the sources of the Mis- 

 sissippi (Banks of Spirit Lake, Mr. Nicollet!) to S. Carolina, Elliott! (A. 

 laevis ? Herb. Ell. !) and Georgia, Miss Clay ! apparently not very com- 

 mon. Sept.-Oct. — Stem usually stout, 1-4 feet high. Leaves thickish; 

 the lower ones often 5-6 inches long, and about an inch wide, often tapering 

 from above the middle to the base, with a pretty strong midrib, the margins 

 scabrous; the primary veins few ; the reticulation of the veinlets rather ob- 

 scure. ^ Heads, when not very numerous, frequently an inch in diameter ; 

 including the rather linear and pretty large pale blue rays, but sometimes 

 reduced to half that size. Exterior scales of the involucre occasionally her- 

 baceous throughout ; the others pale at the base ; the short herbaceous tips 

 also with slight pale or scarious margins. Disk often turning purplish. 

 Achenia slightly pubescent. — Our plant, which wholly accords with the des- 

 cription of A. Novi-Belgii, a. Nees, is doubtless the same with the original 

 Liunaean species, and with that figured by Hermann. Although extensively 

 diffused, it appears to be uncommon in this country. It has been cultivated 

 in Europe for more than a century and a half; and from it several nominal 

 species have probably been derived. — The "specimen of an Aster from Dr. 

 Scouler, gathered on the Columbia, which Prof Lindley inclines to refer to 

 A. asper," {Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 10, under A. luxurians,) is either a 

 variety of A. Novi-Belgii, or belongs to a new species, of which there are 

 not suflScient materials for description. 



58. A. amplus (Lindl.) : stem simple, stout; the racemose branches some- 

 what corymbose, nearly naked, hairy above, bearing 1-3 large heads ; leaves 

 glabrous, with scabrous margins, slightly serrate or nearly entire ; the radi- 

 cal ones oval-lanceolate, tapering into a long narrowly-winged petiole, the 

 lower cauhne spatulate-lanceolate, acute, partly clasping ; the upper nar- 

 rowly oblong-lanceolate, often auriculate-clasping ; scales of the involucre 

 lanceolate, loose, equal, herbaceous; rays large.— Lindl. ! in Hook. Jl. Bor.- 

 Am. 2. p. 10, S^in DC. p)rodr. 5. p. 236. 



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