Aster. COMPOSITiE. 139 



7. Mihvaukie, Wisconsin, Dr. Lapham ! Columbus, Ohio, Mr. Sullivant ! 

 Sept.-Oct. — We refer the A. salicifolius of Richardson to A. laxifolius, on 

 the authority of Dr. Lindley, who is probably acquainted with the plant of 

 Nees, whose specific ])hrase we have copied. But we must remark, that 

 our specimens do not well accord with the description of that species, which 

 is said to differ from A. vimiueus, Nees, " by its minutely and remotely 

 serrulate leaves, 5-7 inches long and 4-5 lines broad ; by its narrower (flesh- 

 colored) raj's about half the size ; and its earlier florescence" ; and the stem 

 is said to be " hinc inde setulis inspersus." A specimen from Philadelphia, 

 mentioned by Hooker, accords with the character in the latter respect ; but 

 we are confident this is a fragment of A. puniceus y. vimineus. Our var. 

 /3, ? (which abounds in, and is nearly confined to the northern regions, and 

 may therefore bear the name of A. borealis if it should prove to be distinct,) 

 is a slender plant, from 1 to 3 feet high ; the long and narrow leaves of nearly 

 the same breadth throughout, and except the lowermost, not at all attenuate 

 towards the base, but with a broad partly clasping insertion. The heads are 

 nearly as large as in A. puniceus ; the rays numerous and long (the ligule 

 fully the length of the involucre), apparently violet-blue ; the achenia in 

 some specimens rather densely, in others sparingly appressed-pubescent.— 

 The var. 7., which is probably not specifically distinct from the preceding, 

 is a very graceful plant, apparently of considerable size, with long and 

 slender lax branches, and the heads loosely disposed at their extremities. 

 The cauline leaves are 4 or 5 inches long, and about 4 lines wide ; those of 

 the branches perhaps broadest at the partly clasping base. Heads fully as 

 large as in the preceding form ; the scales of the involucre narrowly linear, 

 in about 3 unequal series, loose, but not inclined to become squarrose. Rays 

 numerous, long, showy, apparently pale violet or purple ; the disk turning 

 purplish. Achenia minutely puberulent. — The A. th^^rsiflorus of the Euro- 

 pean gardens may have been derived from this species. 



t t Scales of the involucre loose, narrow, acute, often recurved or spreading. 



61. A. longifolius (Lam.) : glabrous ; stem smooth or sometimes scabrous 

 below, paniculately branched ; the (middle-sized) heads loosely corymbose- 

 paniculate ; leaves narrowly lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, elongated, 

 somewhat clasping, attenuate-acuminate, the lower mostly serrate in the 

 middle with scattered and spreading sharp teeth, smooth beneath; the upper 

 surface broadly scabrous towards the margins ; scales of the broadly turbi- 

 nate involucre narrowly linear, acute, nearly equal, with the summits 

 spreading or often recurved ; rays numerous. — Lam. diet. 1. p. 306, fide 

 DC. ! prodr. 5. p. 239. A. eminens, Willd. enum. 2. p. 886; Nees, Ast. p. 

 87. A.. ]anccm. Ait. Kew.{ed. 1)2. p. 2QA,Mq Nees, DC. Sfc. A. tevi- 

 gatus, Pursh,jl. 2. p. 553 ? (ex Nees. Sf- DC.) 



(3. stem stout, scabrous below (roughened with minute sharp points) ; 

 leaves mostly entire ; the lower elongated-lanceolate ; those of the branches 

 oblong-lanceolate, short ; scales of the involucre more or less unequal, with 

 shorter and less spreading summits. 



' Swamjiy places from New York to Carolina,' Nees, DC. (derived partly 

 from the habitats cited by Pursh under A. junceus, laevigatus, &c.) South- 

 ern States, Le ConZe .' p. In the Southern States? Z,e Con^e/ Sept.-Oct. — 

 We have never met with the native plant, except in the herbarium of Major 

 Le Conte,, whose specimens very well agree with cultivated forms. The 

 latter are subject to considerable variation, and six varieties are characterized 

 by Nees and De Candolle. To one of these, (A. eminens e. laevigatus, Nees, 

 I. c, or A. longifolius e. Ia3vigatus, DC. I. c.) Nees adduces the synonym, A. 

 mutabilis. Ait. and A. Ifevigatus, Pursh: this is said to be a tall plant (5-6 

 feet high) ; with the oblong-lanceolate leaves smooth, the margins only 

 scabrous, rigid, bright green and lucid : perhaps our var. /3. does not mate- 



