52 STOKESIA CYANEA. — BLUE STOKESIA. 



and were to be seen in the florists' shops until late in November. 

 Those who desire a really good autumn flower would do well to 

 grow this. The blue, aster-like flowers are very large and 

 showy, and are borne on the end of every branchlet, each bloom 

 being about three and a half inches in diameter, and apparently 

 semi-double. In its late-blooming property consists its chief 

 value, for late-flowering, hardy, really good plants are scarce. 

 ... It is also very useful for conservatory decoration in 

 autumn and winter." This extract shows how highly the plant 

 is appreciated as an exotic in the Old World. 



The name Siokesia is said to have been given to our species 

 in honor of Dr. Jonathan Stokes, an English botanist, but it 

 does not appear that he had any special connection with the 

 flower. It first appears in botanical literature in a work pub- 

 lished by C. Ludwig L'Heritier at Paris in 1788. The plant 

 was regarded as a Carthamns by many good European botanists, 

 and had several specific names while it was in this genus, such 

 as C. cyancus, C. IcEvis, and C. Carolinensis. 



Its common name in England, we are told by Mr. Robinson 

 in the book before quoted, is " Stokes' Aster," but not from any 

 botanical resemblance to the genus Aste^'-, for there is none in 

 our plant. In America this beautiful native species has been 

 altoeether too much neglected, and has not even a common 

 name. To remedy this defect we have translated the botanical 

 name, "Blue Stokesia," although "Stokesia" alone might perhaps 

 be thought sufficient, as there is only one species, and all its 

 flowers are of the same color. 



For the specimen from which our drawing has been made we 

 are indebted to Prof. George Thurber. 



E.XPLANATioN OF THE PLATE.— I. A dwarf plant, full size. — 2. Single floret, the lower 

 portion tubular, and the upper strap-shaped. — 3. Mature head, divided through the 

 centre, and showing the position of an akene on the receptacle. 



