170 ORDER SUPERFLUA. 



ing, extremely branched, biennial plant, with entire* 

 narrow, pubescent leaves. 



The true Erigerons are Daisy-like looking plants 

 of common occurrence, having an imbricated, nearly 

 hemispherical calyx, with the florets of the ray very 

 numerous, narrow, and rather long. The receptacle 

 is naked ; and the pappus double (when examined 

 through a lens) ; the exterior minute ; the interior 

 hairy, and of few rays. One of our handsomest 

 common vernal flowering species is the E. bellidifoli- 

 um, in some places known by the name of Poor 

 Robin's Plantain, and the leaves chewed as a substi- 

 tute for Tobacco. It is of low growth, each stem 

 producing only from 3 to 5 large, bluish, Daisy-like 

 flowers, with the rays nearly twice as long as the 

 hemispherical calyx ; the radical leaves are obovate, 

 hairy, and coarsely serrated ; the stem leaves remote, 

 clasping, and entire. The other species are taller, 

 and produce many flowers, either white, or pale blue 

 in the ray. 



The genus Aster, or Starflower, of which the 

 United States present more than 60 species, profusely 

 decorating with their copious flowers our autumnal 

 scenery, is nearly allied to Erigeron ; but the rays 

 are fewer, and somewhat broader, generally more 

 than 1 0, never yellow, as in most of the lnulas, being 

 either white, bluish, or purple. The calyx is imbri- 

 cate, with the lower scales often spreading (showing 

 their near relation to the minute leaves, which com- 

 monly clothe the flower branch). The receptacle is 

 naked ; and the pappus simple, and many -haired. 

 The Asters are large plants, and grow in almost all 

 situations where the soil is good, and often in the 

 shade of bushes and trees. 



So nearly related to Aster is the American species 

 of Inula, which I have termed Chrysopsis, that several 



