COMPOSITE. (COMPOSITE FAMILY.) 
199 
§ 3. Aster proper.— Scales of the involucre imbricated in various de¬ 
grees, with herbaceous or leaf-like summits, or the outer ones entirely 
foliaceous: rays numerous: pappus soft and nearly uniform: achenia 
fattened. (All flowering at the close of summer or in autumn.) 
♦ Leaves silvery-silky both sides, all sessile and entire, mucronulate: 
involucre imbricated in 3 to several rows: rays showy, purple-violet . 
6 . A. sericeus, Vent. (Silvery Aster.) Stems slender, 
branched; leaves lanceolate or oblong; heads mostly solitary termi¬ 
nating the short silvery branchlets; scales of the subglobose involucre 
similar to the leaves, spreading, except the short coriaceous base, sil¬ 
very ; achenia smooth, many-ribbed.-Prairies and banks, Wisconsin 
and southward.-An elegant silvery species; the large heads with 
20-30 rays £ ; or more in length. 
7. A. concolor, L. (Silky Aster.) Stems wand-like, near- 
ly simple ; leaves crowded, oblong or lanceolate, oppressed, the upper 
reduced to little bracts ; heads in a simple or compound wand-like ra¬ 
ceme; scales of the obovoid involucre closely imbricated in several 
rows, appressed, rather rigid, silky, lanceolate; achenia silky. Dry 
sandy soil, New Jersey and southward. — A handsome plant, 1 -d 
hi*h, with the short leaves 1 ' or less in length, grayish-silky and of 
the same hue both sides. Heads middle-sized, showy, bnght violet- 
1 .Lower leaves not heart-shaped; the upper all sessile and more or 
less clasping by a heart-shaped or aurided base: heads showy: 
scales of the inversely conical or beU-shaped involucre regularly im¬ 
bricated in several rows, the outer successively shorter, oppressed, co¬ 
riaceous, with short herbaceous tips .- rays large, deep purple or blue 
8 A. natens. Ait. (Spreading Aster.) Rough-pubescent; 
stem loosely panicled above, the heads mostly solitary, terminating 
the slender branchlets; leaves oblong-lanceolate or ovate-oblong, often 
contracted below the middle, all clasping by a deep auncled-heart- 
shaped base, rough, especially above and on the margins, entire; 
scales of the minutely roughish involucre with spreading pointed 
tips; achenia silky.— Var. piilogifolids is a form which the plant 
assumes in shady moist places, with larger and elongated scarcely 
rough thin leaves, downy underneath, sometimes a little toothed 
above, mostly much contracted below the middle. —Dry copses, com¬ 
mon.—Stem l°- 3 f> high, with very spreading bushy branches, and 
large heads, with showy deep blue-purple rays. 
0. A. life vis. L. (Smooth Sky-blue Aster.) Very smooth 
throughout, glaucous; heads in a close panicle; leaves thickish, lan¬ 
ceolate or ovate-lanceolate, chiefly entire, the upper more or less 
clasping by an auricled or heart-shaped base; scale.-, of t e into ucre 
with abrupt appressed green points; achenia svwut ^‘'~~ j®. 
lands and banks, common. — A handsome species,.- - *© * 
