660 COMPOSITAE 
slender, 1 to 3 ft. high, loosely branching above. Leaves linear, 3 to 5 
in. long, without teeth or with a few remote teeth at margins, slightly 
clasping or only attached to stem by broad base. Heads not numerous, 
small (1 in. broad); rays light purple. Bracts in several series, linear, . 
acute, the outer shortest. Swamps and bogs, Maine to New Jersey. July- 
Sept. 
26. A, longifolius, Lam. (Fig. 6, pl. 181.) LoNnc-LEAvEp ASTER. 
Stem smooth or somewhat downy, slender, 1 to 3 ft. high. Leaves linear 
to narrow lance-shaped, 3 to 8 in. long, the base clasping the stem, taper- 
ing to the margin. Heads about 1 in. broad, numerous. Rays numerous, 
violet or pale purple, rarely nearly white. Scales not much overlapping, 
spreading. Swamps and wet grounds, in most of New England. July- 
Oct. 
Leaves clasping the stem, margins conspicuously toothed 
27. A. puniceus, L. (Fig. 7, pl 178.) PURPLE-SteEM ASTER. Stem 
stout, 3 to 8 ft. high, reddish, covered with rigid hairs. Leaves lance- 
shaped, 3 to 6 in. long, not narrowed at base, which clasps the stem, mar- 
gins somewhat remotely toothed, rough above, downy on the midvein be- 
low, sharp pointed. Heads rather large in a diffuse elongated cluster. 
Seales of involucre narrowly linear in about 2 rows, loosely overlapping. 
Rays 20 to 40, dark purple or blue. Swamps, most of our area. July-Nov. 
28. A. tardiflorus, L. (Fig. 1, pl. 181.) NorTHreasTtern ASTER. Stem 
smooth or somewhat downy above, 1 to 4 ft. high, branched near the sum- 
mit. Leaves lance-shaped to egg-shaped, sharply toothed, tapering to a 
slender point at apex and to a rather narrow clasping base 3 to 6 in. 
long. Heads usually not numerous; rays 20 to 30, violet; bracts of the 
involuere nearly equal in length, the outer leaf-like. Eastern part of our 
area. Aug.-Oct. 
29. A, patulus, Lam. Spreaprine Aster. Closely related to A. tardi- 
florus. Smooth or downy; stem 1 to 4 ft. high. Leaves oblong lance- 
shaped to egg-shaped, the lower 3 to 6 in. long, sharply toothed, apex 
somewhat blunt, the base tapering to rather long winged leaf-stalks, which 
partly clasp the stem. Upper leaves without leaf-stalks, tapering at each 
end. Heads numerous in a loose broad cluster; rays 12 to 15, violet to 
white; bracts of the involucre linear, acute, green and spreading. Moist 
soil, Maine to New Hampshire. Aug.-Oct. 
30. A. prenanthoides, Muhl. (Fig. 2, pl. 181.) CROOKED-STEM ASTER, 
Hairy or downy, stem 1 to 3 ft. high, bending zig-zag. Leaves rough above, 
smooth below, egg-shaped to lance-shaped, with sharp teeth at margins, 
slender taper-pointed at apex, abruptly dilated at the base which clasps 
the stem. Heads numerous, 1 in. broad; rays 20 to 30, violet; scales of 
the involucre linear, spreading, green. Moist soil, Mass., and westward 
and southward. Aug.-Oct. 
Leaves not clasping the stem, not heart-shaped at base and with entire 
margins or with very few remote tecth 
Plants not fleshy 
31. A. concolor, L. (Vig. 7, pl. 181.) Eastern Sinvery ASTER. 
Stem slender, straight, searcely branched, smooth or slightly downy above. 
