long time in our Gardens, where it is a great ornament 

 of the outskirts of Shrubberies from September to the end 

 of November, increasing rapidly by its spreading roots, 

 which will soon overrun a considerable patch of ground. 

 It is on this account that, like many others of its tribe, it 

 is unfit for cultivation among delicate plants, or in situations 

 where great order should be maintained. 



Than this we could scarcely select a better instance of 

 the variable character of the species of this intricate genus. 

 In stature it varies from a foot or fifteen inches to three or 

 four feet in height; its stems are sometimes, as in A. bupleu- 

 roides, deep purple, in others they are scarcely stained ; its 

 leaves are sometimes all serrated, occasionally all entire, 

 more commonly serrated at the lowest part of the stem 

 only ; sometimes scarcely any footstalk can be discovered 

 in a specimen, in other cases all the lowest leaves are fur- 

 nished with petioles, almost as long as the laminae ; even 

 the outline of the latter is subject to considerable variation, 

 some specimens having the lower leaves almost cordate, 

 while others have them gradually tapering to the base. 

 The characteristic marks of the species are to be sought 

 in the purplish glaucous colour of the stems and leaves, 

 the amplexicaul base of the latter upon the upper parts of 

 the stem, and in the large bright blue rays of the flower- 

 heads. 



There can be no doubt that the synonyms above quoted 

 are certain ones ; if we have not increased the list, it is 

 because, although we can scarcely doubt that several more 

 reputed species are also reducible hither, we have not at 

 present the same absolute certainty in regard to them. 



In the Gardens this is sometimes called A. phlogifolius, 

 A. mutabilis, and even A. concolor ; while Pursh has evi- 

 dently confounded it with A. Novse-Anglise, a totally different 

 species. 



J. L. 



