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AN ENCYCLOPÆDIA 
OF HORTICULTURE. 139 
Aster—continued. 
ones serrated; branches corymbose, smooth. h. 3ft. North 
America. í 
A. Shortii (Short’s). fl.-heads purplish blue, about lin. across ; 
panicles long, racemose, Autumn. l lanceolate, elongated, 
acuminated, cordate at the base. h. 2ft, to 4ft. Stem slender, 
spreading. North America. 
A. sibiricus (Siberian). f/l.-heads blue; involucre loose; leaflets 
lanceolate, acuminate, hispid. August. Z. lanceolate, sub-am- 
plexicaul, serrate, pilose, scabrous. h. 2ft. Siberia, 1768. 
A. sikkimensis (Sikkimese).* l.-heads purple; leaflets of in- 
volucre linear, acuminate, sub-squarrose. October. 2. lanceo- 
late, acuminate, spinosely denticulate; radical ones on longer 
. petioles; cauline ones sessile; corymbs large, of many heads, 
eafy, erect, glabrous, branched, A. 3ft. Sikkim, 1850. 
A. spectabilis (showy).* fl.-heads blue; scales of involucre loose, 
leafy. August. l. lanceolate, roughish, somewhat amplexicaul ; 
lower ones serrate in the middle. h. 2ft. North America, 1777. 
A very pretty species. 
A. spurius (spurious). fl.-heads purple, large, few ; inner scales 
of involucre coloured. September. 7¢. linear-lanceolate, amplexi- 
caul, polished. Stem virgate, panicled. Branches racemose. h. 4ft. 
North America, 1789. Syn. A. rubricaule. 
A, tardiflorus (late-flowering). 4.-hkeads blue, numerous. Au- 
tumn. J. sessile, serrated, smooth, spathulate-lanceolate, nar- 
rowed at base, and bent down towards each side. h. 2ft. North 
America, 1775. 
A. Townshendi (Townshend’s). Synonymous with A. Bigelovit. 
A. Tradescanti (Tradescant’s).* .-Aeads white ; involucre imbri- 
cated. A & te-sessile, serrated, smooth ; branches 
vi : round, smooth. h. 3ft. North America, 1633. A. 
form thereof, with somewhat smaller flowers and more obovate- 
oblong leaves. 
A. tripolium (Tripoli). Michaelmas Daisy. /.-heads blue; disk 
velar scales of involucre lanceolate, membranous, obtuse, 
imbricated. August. J. linear-lanceolate, fleshy, obscurely three- 
nerved. Stem glabrous, corymbose. h. 2ft. Britain. 
Fig. 182, ASTER TURBINELLUS, 
A. turbinellus (turbinate). /l.-heads delicate mauve, disposed in 
panicles; involucre top-shaped, scales imbricate. Summer and 
m 
multiflorus is very much like this species, and, perhaps, a mere - 
Aster—continued. 
autumn. J. lanceolate, smooth, entire, with fringed margins, 
somewhat stem-clasping; those of the branchlets awl-shaped. 
h. mi hy 3ft. North America. A very desirable species. See 
Fig. 182. ` 
A. undulatus (undulated). j.-heads pale blue. August. l 
oblong-cordate, amplexicaul, entire; petioles winged. Stem 
oo ai hispid, Branchlets one-sided. h. 3ft. North America, 
A. versicolor (various-coloured).* fl.-heads white, changing to 
purple; scales of involucre shorter than disk. August. l. sub- 
amplexicaul, broad-lanceolate, sub-serrate, smooth, Stem glab- 
rous. A. 3ft. North America, 1790. 
The annuals (Callistephus chinensis), usually known as 
French, German, or China Asters, are very extensively 
grown, both for beds and pots, and their diversity and 
generally compact growth render them almost universal 
favourites. They require a rich loamy soil, and as the 
roots are produced near the surface, a mulching of rotten 
dung will be found most beneficial. Seeds may be raised 
in a cold frame in March or April, and, when the 
seedlings are large enough, they must be transplanted 
into beds from Qin. to 12in. apart each way. If it 
is desired to have them in pots, they may be removed 
thence with a good ball of earth adhering just before they 
commence flowering, liberally watered, and kept lightly 
shaded from the sun, until root action is resumed. Those 
kinds required for exhibition purposes should have several 
of the side shoots removed, so that the whole growing 
. energy of the plant may be centralised into from five to 
seven flower-heads, by which means fine blooms may be 
obtained. The dwarf kinds are most valuable for bedding 
and pots, as the taller kinds frequently require stakes for 
support. The following are the most important sections : 
Betteridge’s Prize, Very beautifully formed and brilliantly 
coloured varieties, unsurpassed for exhibition purposes. As this 
class has rather a straggling habit of growth, it is less suitable for 
bedding and borders than many of the others. 
Boltze’s Miniature Bouquet dal. Dwarf and ele- 
gant, in compact bouquets of six or eight; the truss of flower- 
heads springs directly from the ground, having only a few leaves 
at base. Colours very varied. A. 6in, to 8in. 
Fig. 183. TRUFFAUT’S PÆONY- 
Fig. 184. TRUFFAUT’S is 
FLOWERED ASTER. —_— 
TION ASTER. 
Crown.* Distinct. The central portion, or disk, of the head of 
flowers is pure white, surrounded by a broad margin of coloured 
ray florets, such as purple, violet, crimson, rose, &c, Flower- 
heads large, flat, freely produced. h. 1ft. to lift, j 
Dwarf Chrysanthemum flowered.* In size of flower- 
and habit of growth, this surpasses all other dwarf aher 
flowers are full, Chrysanthemum-shaped, produced in clusters, or 
bonqpeth, TE igs to twenty in a truss, very delicate and beautifui 
in colour, h. lft, 
Dwarf Pyramidal or Dwarf Bouquet. A pretty little class, 
and extremely floriferous, each plant producing from twenty to 
fifty heads of bloom. Some of the colours are : Exquisite carmine 
with white points, white with blue or carmine points, white with 
salmon centre, &c. A. lft. 
Improved Imbricate. The best strain of pyramidal Asters with 
recurved florets ; fine regular form of meee double to the centre, 
producing but few seeds. Colours very brilliant. A. 2ft. 
Improved Rose. A handsome class, producing a branched head, 
displaying no less than fifty large double flower heads, the outer 
