224 WILD FLOWER FAMILIES 



mentary color harmony with the yellow hues of 

 the Goldenrods, so Nature seems bent upon get- 

 ting the most delightful results as she brings her 

 season's pageant to an end. Many of the early 

 Asters may be found blossoming in August, but 

 the most typical and attractive kinds make their 

 chief display in September and linger through 

 the greater part of October. The species called 

 the New England Aster — although it has a much 

 wider range than this name would indicate — is 

 perhaps as general a favorite as any. It bears 

 in great profusion thick masses of violet or purple 

 blossoms that light up the fields and roadsides 

 most charmingly. 



Several of the Asters are named according to 

 the shape of their leaves. The Heart-leaved Aster 

 has rather small flowers with the rays of a blue- 

 lavender tint ; its stems are branching, each branch 

 bearing a cluster of blossoms. The Wavy-leaved 

 Aster is so called because of the irregular margins 

 of the leaves. It grows in pastures along the 

 borders of w^oods and bears lavender-purple 

 flowers. The leaves of the Long-leaved Aster 

 are very slender; it bears violet blossoms in pro- 

 fusion and is especially found in wet places. 

 There are many other species of the genus, some 

 bearing white and others purple blossoms. 



