﻿Bic knell: Ferns and flowering plants of Nantucket 565 



On Nantucket this aster seems to be not widely variable, and 

 wherever observed, except at one station, was characteristic of 

 typical A. divaricatus, as defined by Professor Burgess; specimens 

 from a number of stations agree closely with examples so named 

 by him in the herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden. 

 The only marked variation observed was in a thicket in Squam 

 where specimens, in leaf only, collected July 4, 191 2, seem to show 

 a definite approach to Aster persaliens Burgess (Mem. Torrey 

 Club 13: 140. 1906). 



On Chappaquiddick Island the species is less exclusively true 

 to type and is represented by several well marked forms. 

 Aster undulatus L. 



Nowhere in great abundance, but widely scattered over the 

 moorland and commons, growing up into taller forms in the 

 borders of thickets. Small green flower buds August 10, 1906; 

 first flowers September 12, 1907. Widely variable, passing into 

 the vars. loriformis and torguatus of Professor Burgess. 



An ambiguous aster, a solitary plant of its kind, collected 

 below " the Cliff " September 22, I907,islinear«-leaved and violet- 

 flowered, and slightly roughish puberulent on stem and leaf. It 

 appears to combine so unmistakably characters of Aster undulatus 

 and Aster dumosus that there would seem to be little reason to 

 doubt a hybrid origin from those species. 

 Aster patens Ait. 



A common dry soil aster of thickets and open ground. Often 

 reduced in size and bearing small and much roughed leaves, and 

 relatively small heads with deep colored rays. A single precocious 

 flower August 16, 1906; generally just in bloom September 11, 

 1907. 

 Aster novi-belgii L. 



The prevailing aster of low grounds and boggy places, widely 

 variable and readily passing into a number of diverse forms; 

 var. elodes Gray is common throughout; var. atlanticus Burgess, 

 although rather scarce, is sometimes of pronounced character, 

 the larger leaves becoming 1.5 dm. long by 3 cm. w^de; other 

 forms seem to be more or less representative of var. littoreus 



