176 COMPOSITE 



unfrequently gathered and sold for samphire ; but the glass-worts (Salicornice) 

 are more often substituted for that plant than are any other seaside productions. 

 Animals, though usually so fond of the plants of saline soils, dislike the 

 Aster, and neither the cow nor sheep will touch it. Country people call it 

 Blue Daisy, Blue Chamomile, and Michaelmas Daisy ; and it is very nearly 

 allied to the lilac and purple flowered plants known under the latter name, 

 which lend their thousands of starry blooms to deck the autumnal flower- 

 garden. The Michaelmas-daisy genus is peculiarly a North American one, 

 the woods and fields of that country producing a great variety of these 

 plants. The Michaelmas Daisy (Aster tradescdntia) was brought into our 

 gardens in 1633, by John Tradescant, who with his father visited America 

 to procure new flowers for English gardens. The elder of the Tradescants 

 was gardener to King Charles I., and collected one of the finest museums of 

 natural histoiy ever known in this country. The fiowei-s commemorate the 

 name of these useful botanists ; and a large number of allied species have 

 been introduced since that period. 



Sir Charles Lyell, when travelling in America, along the road to the 

 White Mountains, each side of which had an abundant growth of sweet 

 fern, and of the woolly dropwort, with its spike of purplish flowers, says : 

 " The name of hard-back was given to this latter plant because the stalks 

 turned the edge of the mowers' scythes. There were gold rods, everlastings, 

 and Asters in profusion ; one of the Asters being called Frost-blow, because 

 flowering after the first frost." He adds : " By the side of these indigenous 

 plants grew the English self-heal, the mullein, and other flowers, reminding 

 me of a remark of an American botanist, that New England has become the 

 garden of European weeds." 



The French call the Aster LAsUer ; the Germans, Sternhlume ; the 

 Dutch, Sterribloem ; the Danes, Stiernhlomst ; the Italians and Spaniards, 

 Aster. The favourite garden flowers known as China asters belong to 

 another genus, CalUstephus. The Aster acris of the south of Europe, which 

 is sometimes found in our gardens, has powerfully acrid properties, and when 

 bruised the whole plant has the odour of a carrot. 



38. Golden Rod (SoUddgo). 



Common Golden Rod (S. virgaurea). — Stem erect, slightly angular; 

 leaves lanceolate, narrowed at both ends, lower ones oval, stalked and, 

 serrated ; scales of the involucre lanceolate and acute ; perennial. A variety 

 of this plant, sometimes termed S. cdmhrica, is small, and has broader 

 leaves. During the autumnal months, this flower is the favourite resort of 

 the bees. How on a fine October day these insects will hum and hover about 

 its mass of golden flowers, which enliven chalky bank or sea-cliff", or linger in 

 woods or in thickets by the lane ! The brightness of the blossom is relieved 

 by the green leaves growing among the clusters ; which are, however, far 

 less dense in the wood or hedge than on sunny open places. It grows best 

 on the poorest soils, and is abundant on mountainous places, blossoming from 

 July till October. This Golden Rod has had its praises sung in former years. 

 It was called Wound-weed, and from its healing powers recei^^ed its scientific 

 name, Solidago : Solido or in solidum ago vidnera, " I cons'jdidatA, wounds." 



