COMPOSITAE COMPOSITE FAMILY 
HEATH ASTER 
Aster ericoides L. 
The Heath Aster is a common white flower in dry open places 
trom Maine to Minnesota, south to Florida and Missouri, bloom- 
ing from August to October. It is usually quite bushy, 1-3 feet 
high and smooth throughout. The 
lowest leaves are oblong and some- 
times toothed, but all are narrow 
and rigid. 
The small heads are usually very 
numerous and about one-half inch 
broad. The leathery, linear to 
lanceolate bracts of the hemi- 
spherical or bell-shaped involucre 
have green tips. The 15-25 ray 
flowers are white or rarely rose to 
purplish and the pappus is com- 
posed of white bristles. 
The Many-flowered Aster, Aster 
multiflorus Ait., is also very common, 
especially in sandy places and on 
prairies. The stem is much branched, 
bushy and usually somewhat hairy, 
and 1-3 feet high. The innumerable 
linear leaves are rigid, crowded, ses- 
sile and rough or hairy along the 
margins. Those of the main stem are 
one-half to 1% inches long, but those 
on the branches are very small. The 
heads are small, densely crowded and 
nearly sessile. There are 10-20 white 
ray flowers. The pappus is brownish 
white. At least some of the bracts of 
the involucre are bristly hairy, which is not true of the Heath Aster. 
The Red-stemmed Aster, Aster puniceus L., is a very tall branched 
species which grows in swamps. It is stout and rough hairy through- 
out or in lines along the 6-8-foot red stem. The oblong, sessile and 
clasping leaves are very rough above and slightly hairy or smooth 
beneath. The 20-40 rays are very showy, violet-purple and one-half 
inch long or more. The pappus is white and the akenes are yellowish 
because of their hairy cover. 
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