136 THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
ASTEPHANUS (from a, without, and stephanos, a Aster—continved. 
corona; corona absent). ORD. Asclepiadacee. A genus of D 
pretty evergreen greenhouse twiners. Flowers few, small, AW 
disposed in interpetiolar umbels; corolla campanulate. . fee 
Leaves small, opposite. They thrive in a compost of turfy R 
peat, leaf soil, and loam, in equal parts. Very little water 
is required when the plants are at rest. Cuttings root 
readily in sandy soil in a moderate heat. Propagation may 
also be effected by division. 
A. linearis (linear). 4. white; umbels dividing in threes, lateral 
and terminal. July. Z. lin. long, opposite, linear-lanceolate. 
Stems glabrous. Cape of Good Hope, 1816. 
A. triflorus (three-flowered).* fl. white; umbels generally three- 
flowered. July. l. opposite, lanceolate, villous beneath. Stems 
hairy. Cape of Good Hope, 1816. 
ASTER (from aster, a star; general shape of flower- 
heads), Michaelmas Daisy; Star-wort. ORD. Composite. 
Hardy herbaceous perennials, except where otherwise 
stated. Heads solitary-corymbose or panicled, heterogamous, 
rayed ; ray-florets pistiliferous, one to two-seriate, fertile or 
neuter ; ligule elongated, white, blue, or purple; disk-florets 
hermaphrodite, fertile, tubular, yellow, five-cleft; involucre 
eampanulate or hemispheric; bracts few, or many-seriate, 
outer smaller or larger; receptacle flat or convex ; pappus 
hairs few or copious, scabrid, outer sometimes shorter, 
rigid, and paleaceous. Leaves alternate. This very large 
genus contains many handsome border and alpine deciduous 
perennials (rarely biennials) of very easy culture in ordi- ! 
nary garden soil. They may be propagated by root Fig. 177. ASTER ALPINUS, 
divisions made in autumn or spring, or by seeds sown in ; 
‘spring. The greenhouse species are mostly evergreen A. A. bessarabicus (Bessarabian).* A most desirable variety, 
Wi 
Si 
=) 
OS ae 
shrubs, requiring a compost of peat, leaf soil, and loam frequently seen in gardens ; it is rather taller than the type, with 
3 : Ri T 3 fi - ,of ad l lour. O f th iest 
Cuttings root readily in a sandy soil under a hand glass, o aeo tem, boo Vie th eS a e Ia 
with very little heat. 
acris (acrid). f.-heads blue ; involucre imbricated, 
twice as short as the disk. A) l. linear-lanéeo- 
late, not dotted, three-nerved. Ñ. aft. South Europe, 
A. acuminatus (taper-pointed).* -heads white; 
panicle corymbose. tember. l aeey m eara 
narrowed at base, entire, with a very long point. 
Stem simple, flexuous, angular. A. 2ft. North 
America, 1806. 
A. adulterinus (false). f.-heads violet; involucre 
squarrose, shorter than the disk. September. l. 
amplexicaul, lanceolate; lower ones  sub-serrate, 
smooth; those of the branches linear squarrose, h. 
3ft. North America. 
A. zstivus (summer-flowering).* /.-heads blue. July. 
l. lanceolate, somewhat amplexicaul, narrowed at the 
end, scabrous at edge. Stem erect, hispid ; branchlets 
pilose. h. 2ft. North America, 1776. 
A. albescens (whitish). /l.-heads purple or whitish, 
nearly lin. across; corymbosely panicled; scales of 
involucre ovate-linear, apiculate ; ray twenty-flowered. 
August, /. lanceolate on short petioles, denticulate, 
downy. Plant beset with rusty down. h. 3ft. Nepal, 
A. alpinus (alpine).* fl.-heads bright purple, lin. to 
_2in. across; scales of involucre nearly equal, lanceo- 
late, bluntish. July. Z, radical ones lanceolate- 
oo those of the stem lanceolate. Stem one- 
flowered. A. 6in. to Yin. Europe, 1658. A very 
attractive species, having a dwarf, stout habit; it 
forms a useful and handsome subject for edging, and 
Tig, prii are valuable for cutting purposes. See 
A. a. albus (white).* fl.-ħeads white, in other respects 
resembling the wi gt but it is much less desirable, 
n has not nearly so vigorous a habit, Europe, 
A. altaicus (Altaian).* fl-heads blue-purple, about 
2in. across; stem simple, corymbose, downy. June, 
July. 1. linear-lanceolate, entire, blunt mucronate, 
three-nerved at base, veiny. h. lft. Siberia, 1804, 
This, which is frequently considered a variety of A. 
see alpinus, is one of the handsomest, 
_ A, alwartensis (Alwart). fl.-heads red ; ray very fine ; 
- involucre loosely squarrose. May. l. ovate, narrowe 
at base, entire, about five-nerved. A. lft. Caucasus, 
Fic. 178. ASTER AMELLUS BESSARABICUS. 
z 
oaa EN 5 i EEE g iolet. July. l ovate- 
Amellus (Amellus).* fl.-heads le, solitary, numerous ; A. amplexicaulis (stem clasping). j1.-heads vio 
_ Involuere imbricated A a leaves bhai: inner! membranous, oblong, geute, amplexicaul,, cordate, pi se 3 on oom 
_ coloured ee August. J, oblong-lanceolate, scabrous. h. 2ft. panicled, smooth ; branches one to two- : 
Italy, 1596. One of the best border kinds, 
: America. 
