COMPOSITE. (composite familt.) 191 



3. A. Kudula, Ait. Stem simple or corymbose at the summit, smooth, 

 many-leaved (l°-3° high) ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, pointed, sharply serrate in the 

 middle, very rough both sides and rugose-veined, closely sessile (2' -3' long), nearly 

 equal ; scales of the bell-shaped involucre oblong, oppressed, with very short and 

 slightly spreading herbaceous tips; achenia smooth. — Bogs and low grounds, 

 Delaware to Maine and northward, near the coast. Aug. — Rays light violet. 

 Involucre nearly smooth, except the ciliate margins. 



4. A. Slirculosus, Michx. Stems slender (^°- 1° high), from long and 

 slender, or here and there tuberous-thickened, creeping subterranean shoots or suck- 

 ers, roughish-pnbeseent above, 1-2- or corymbosely several-flowered; leaves 



roughish, obscurely toothed, lanceolate or the lower oblong-spatulate ; involucre 

 obconicul or bell-shaped (J'-^ long), the whitish and coriaceous scales with shod 

 herbaceous tips, the outer ones shorter; achenia slightly pubescent. — Var. graci- 

 lis (A. gracilis, Nutt.) is a form with the scales of the narrower obconical invo- 

 lucre successively shorter and with very short and scarcely spreading green dps, 

 resembling a Scricocarpus. — Moist grounds, pine ban-ens of New Jersey and 

 southward. Sept. — Rays about 12, violet, J' long. —Perhaps runs into the 

 next. 



5. A. Spectubilis, Ait. Stems (l°-2° high) minutely rough and glan- 

 dular-pubescent at the summit; leaves oblong-lanceolate, roughish, obscurely toothed, 

 tapering to the base; scales of the short and almost hemispherical involucre linear- 

 oblong, with conspicuous spatulate glandular-downy tips, the out, rmost scarcely shorn r ; 



achenia slightly pubescent. — Sandy soil, Massachusetts to New Jersey, \u-m- 

 the coast, and southward. Sept. -Nov. — One of the handsomest of the genus, 

 though the heads are few. The rays, about 20, are narrowly lanceolate, nearly 

 1' long, very deep violet-blue. Involucre h' long and wide. 



§ 3. ASTER troper. — Scales of the involucre imbricated in various degrees, ivith 

 hei-baceous or leaf-like summits, or the outer ones entirely Jbliaceous : l-ays numerous: 

 pappus soft and nearly uniform : achenia fattened. (All flowering late in sum- 

 mer or in autumn.) 



* Leaves silvery-silky both sides, all sessile and entire, mucronulate : involucre imbri- 

 cated in 3 to secern! rows : rays showy, purple-violet. 



6. A. sci-ficeits, Vent. Stems slender, branched ; leaves lanceolate or 

 oblong; heads mostly solitary, terminating the short silvery branchlets; scales of 



the globular involucre similar to the leaves, spreading, except the short coriaceous 

 base, silvery; achenia smooth, many-ribbed. — Prairies and dry banks, Wisconsin 

 to Kentucky and southward. — An elegant silvery species; the large heads with 

 20-30 rays of £' or more in length. 



7. A. ConcolOB*, L. Stems wand-like, nearly simple ; leaves crowded, ob- 

 long or lanceolate, appressed, the upper reduced to little bracts ; heads in a simple or 

 compound wand-like raceme; scales of the obovoid involucre closely imbricated in 

 several rows, appressed, rather rigid, silky, lanceolate; achenia silky.— Dry sandy 

 soil, pine ban-ens of New Jersey and southward. — A handsome plant, l°-3° 

 high, with the short leaves 1' or less in length, grayish-silky and of the same 

 hue both sides:. Rays bright violet-purple. 



