An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



139 



Aster — continued. 



ones serrated ; branches corymbose, smooth, h. 3ft. North 

 America. 



A. Shortii (Short's). Jl. -heads purplish bhie, about lin. acro.ss ; 

 panicles lonji, racemose, Autumn. I. lanceolate, elongated, 

 acuminated, cordate at the base. h. 2ft. to 4ft. Stem slender, 

 spreading. North Anieriax. 



A. sibiricus (Siberian), jl. -heads blue; involucre loose; leaflets 

 lancenlate, iicumiuate, hispid. August. I. lanceolate, sub-am- 

 plexiraul, serrate, pil*»se, scabrous, h. 2ft. Siberia, 1768. 



A. slkluinensis (Sikkimese).* ^.-Acarf*.- purple ; leaflets of in- 

 volucre linear, acuminate, sub-squarrose. October. I. lanceo- 

 late, acuminate, sjiiiinsfly denticulate; radical ones on longer 

 petioles; cuuline <nu.-s stssile ; corymbs large, of many heads, 

 leafy, erect, glabrous, branched. A. 3ft. Sikkim, 1850. 



A* spectabilis (showy).* Jl. -heads blue ; scales of involucre loose, 

 leafy. August. /. lanceolate, roughish, somewhat amplexicaul ; 

 iin\er ones serrate in the middle, h. 2ft. North America, 1777. 

 A very pretty species. 



A. spurius (spurious). _/i. -heads purple, large, few; inner scales 

 of involucre coloured. September. /. linear-lanceolate, amplexi- 

 caul, polislied. Stem virgate, jianicled. Branches racemose. A. 4ft. 

 North America, 1789. Syn. .1. ruhricaule. 



A. tardiflorus (late-flowering). _rJ. -heads blue, numerous. Au- 

 tumn. /. sessile, sernited, smooth, spathulate-lanceolate, nar- 

 rowe<l at l>ase, and bent down towards each side. h. 2ft. North 

 America, 1775. 



A. Townshendi (Townshend's). Synonymous with A. Bi>felovil. 



A. Tradescanti (Tradoscanf s).* Jl.-heads white ; involucre imbri- 

 catevb August. /. lanceolate-ses-sile, serrated, smooth ; branches 

 virgate. Stem round, snictoth. h. 3ft. North America, 1633. A. 

 iiiultijlnrus is very much like this .species, and, perhaps, a mere 

 form thereof, with somewhat smaller flowers and more obovate- 

 oblong leaves. 



A. tripolium (Tripoli). Michaelmas Daisy. /.-Acff(^■ blue; disk 

 yellow ; scales of involucre lanceolate, membranous, obtuse, 

 imbricated. August. I. linear-lanceolate, fleshy, obscurely three- 

 nerved. Stem glabrous, corymbose. A. 2ft. Britain. 



Fig. 182. Aster turbinellus. 



jJ. -heads delicate mauve, disposed in 



A* turbinellus (turbinate), jt.-ntnus ut-iKatt; ma 

 panicles ; involucre top-shaped, scales imbricate 



Summer and 



Aster — continued. 



autumn, l. lanceolate, smooth, entire, with fringed margins, 

 somewhat stem-clasping ; those of the branchlets awl-shaped. 

 h. 2ft. to 3ft. North America. A very desirable species. See 

 Fig. 182. 

 A. undulatus (undulated). Jl.-kead8 pale blue. August. I. 

 oblong-c-ovdate, amplexicaul, entire; petioles winged. Stem 



?anicled, hispid. Branchlets one-sided, h. 3ft. North America, 

 699. 

 A, versicolor (variims-coldured).* Jf. -heads white, changing to 

 purple; scales ui involucre shorter than disk. August. I. sub- 

 amplexicaul, broad-lance'date, sub-serrate, smooth. Stem glab- 

 rous, h. 3ft. North America, 1790. 



The annuals (Callistemma hortennis)^ usually known as 

 French, German, or China Aster.s, are very extensively 

 grown, both for beds and pot.s, anil their diversity and 

 generally compact grovpth render them almost universal 

 favourites. They require a rich loamy soil, and as the 

 roots are produced near the surface, a mulching of rotten 

 dung wiU be found most beneficial. Seeds may be raised 

 in a cold frame in March or April, and, when the 

 seedlings are large enough, they must be transplanted 

 into beds from 9in. to 12in. apart each way. If it 

 is desired to have them in pots, they may be removed 

 thence with a good ball of earth adhering just before they 

 commence flowering, liberally watered, and kept lightly 

 shaded from the sun, until root action is resumed. Those 

 kinds required for exhibition purposes should have several 

 of the side shoots removed, so that the whole growing 

 energy of the plant may be centralised into from five to 

 seven flower-heads, by which means fine blooms may be 

 obtained. The dwarf kinds are most valuable for bedding 

 and pots, as the taller kinds frequently require stakes for 

 support. The following are the most important sections ; 

 Betteridge's Prize, A'ery beautifully formed and brilliantly 

 cij1i>iii»-i1 \aviities. unsnr|)assed for exhibition purposes. As this 

 class lias latlu'v a strangling habit of growth, it is less suitable for 

 bedding and Imrders than many of the others. 

 Boltze's Miniature Bouquet Pyramidal. Dwarf and ele* 

 gunt, in compact boucjuets of six or eight; the truss of flower- 

 heads springs directly from the ground, having only a few leaves 

 at base. Colours very varied, h. 6in. to 8in. 



Fici. 183. Truffaut's P^eonv- 



FLOWERED ASTER. 



Tklff.ut's Perfec- 

 Tlox Aster. 



Crown,* Distinct. The central portion, or disk, of the head of 

 flowers is pure white, surrounded by a broad margin of coloured 

 ray florets, such as i)urple. violet, crimson, rose, Ac. Flower- 

 heads large, flat, freely produced. /). 1ft. to Uft. 



Dwarf Chrysanthemum -flowered,* In size of flower-heads 

 and habit of growth, this surpasses all other dwai'f varieties. The 

 flowers are full, Chrysanthemum-shaped, produced in clusters, or 

 bouquets, from ten to twenty in a truss, very delicate and beautiful 

 in colour, h. 1ft. 



Dwarf Pyramidal or Dwarf Bouquet. A pretty little class, 

 and extremely floriferous, each i)lant producing from twenty to 

 fifty heads of bloom. Some of the colours are : Exqviisite carmine 

 with white jKiiuts, white with blue or carmine ptpints, white with 

 salmon centre, Ac. h. 1ft. 



Improved Imbricate, The liest strain of pyramidal Asters with 

 recurved florets ; tine regular form of flowers, double to the centre, 

 produriug but few .seeds. Colours very brilliant, h. 2ft. 



Improved Rose. A handsome class, producing a branched head, 

 displaying no less than fifty large double flower-heads, the outer 



