COMPOSITE. 167 



somewhat 3-nerved ; those of the branchlets spreading or reflexed ; scales 

 of the involucre loosely imbricate, subspatulate, ciliate, with the mucronate 

 tips spreading or recurved. A. multiflorus and ciliatus Willd. 



Dry fields. Can. to Geor. W. to the Rocky Mountains. Sept., Oct. [2| Stem 

 about 2 feet high, much branched, usually covered with a dense white pubes- 

 cence. Heads 'small, in crowded terminal racemes, on horizontal branches ; 

 rays white or slightly purplish ; disk purplish when old. 



Many-lowered Aster. 



27. A. lenuifolius Linn. : stem smooth, racemose-decompound ; branches 

 virgate ; leaves narrow-lanceolate, mostly elongated, attenuate-acuminate, 

 rough on the margin ; lower serrate in the middle ; those of the branches 

 smaller, entire, spreading; involucre ovate-hemispheric; scales imbricate, 

 linear-oblong, acute, spreading at the tips. A. polyphyllus and bellidi- 

 Jlarus Willd. 



Low grounds. Can. to Car. Aug. Nov. 1|~ Stem 2 5 feet high, mostly 

 stout. Leaves variable. Heads middle-sized; rays numerous, pale purple or 

 while ; disk sometimes becoming purplish. Slender-leaved Aster. 



28. A. carneus Nces. : smooth or with the branches somewhat pubescent 

 in lines ; leaves narrow-lanceolate, mucronate-acuminate, roughish above, 

 with serrulate-scabrous margins; lower more or less attenuate at base; 

 upper subclasping ; heads racemose ; scales of the obovate involucre closely 

 imbricate, unequal, acute. 



Moist soils. Mass, to Louis. W. to Miss. Sept., Oct. ^.Resembles the 

 preceding in its foliage, but has the heads usually larger, the rays longer, broader 

 and more showy, flesh-colored or nearly white. A variable species. 



Flesh-colored Aster. 



29. A. cocciiius Willd.: stem smooth, loosely subcorymbose ; branches 

 virgate, dichotomously paniculate ; leaves lanceolate, somewhat clasping ; 

 lower remotely serrate ; those of the branchlets oblong, entire ; scales of the. 

 closely imbricate involucre with a white margin. 



Fields and woods. N. Y. and Penn. Pursh. S. to Flor. Sept. Nov. '2|. 

 Stem 2 feet high. Heads middle-sized ; rays bluish-purple. The leaves are saic 

 by Pursh to resemble those of Phlox maculata. It may belong to the next. 



Neat Aster. 



30. A. lavis Willd. : smooth and more or less glaucous ; stem loosely 

 paniculate or somewhat corymbose at the summit ; leaves lanceolate, ovate- 

 lanceolate or oblong, coriaceous, very smooth, with rough or sparingly ser- 

 rate margins ; lower narrowed towards the base or tapering into a mar- 

 gined petiole ; upper clasping and usually auriculate or cordate at base ; 

 scales of the involucre closely imbricate, rigid, lanceolate or broad-linear, 

 with acute or acuminate tips. A. lavis, l&vigatus and mutabilis D. C. 

 A. amplezicautis Willd. A. rubicaulis Lam. (according to Torr. fy Gr.~) 



var. cyaneus Torr. cf- Gr. : more glaucous ; upper leaves cordate-clasp- 

 ing, oblong-lanceolate ; scales more numerous. A. cyaneus Ho/. Pursh. 



Woods and banks of streams. Can. to Geor. Aug. Oct. QL Stem 24 

 feet high, more or less branched at the summit, often dark purple. Heads mid- 

 dle-sized ; rays bright violet-blue ; disk yellow. A handsome species, but very 

 variable. It may be recognized by its very smooth stem and shining leaves. 



Smooth Blue Aster. 



31. A. versicol&r Willd. : stem smooth, paniculate-compound ; branches 

 densely corymbose ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, very smooth, of 



