CARDUACEAE 1213 



13. Aster mirabilis T. & G. Stem 3-7 dm. tall, sparingly branched above, mani- 

 festly pubescent, the branches and especially the branchlets closely and finely pubescent : 

 leaves various, the basal and lower cauline little known, the upper cauline rather remote ; 

 blades ovate to oblong-ovate, 2.5-9 cm. long, or those on the branchlets smaller, mostly 

 acute, firm, serrate with appressed subcrenate teeth, mainly sessile, rough-pubescent, with 

 appressed scattered hairs, those of the upper surface fewer, shorter, often spinescent : heads 

 solitary or few in terminal clusters : involucres 8-10 mm. high ; bracts firm, linear-ob- 

 long to linear, pubescent without and ciliate, the recurved herbaceous broadly obtuse 

 tips pubescent on both sides : ray-flowers about 20 ; ligules violet, 1.5-3 cm. long : 

 achenes about 3.5 mm. long, glabrous or nearly so, shorter than the tawny pappus whose 

 inner bristles are thickened at the apex. Kesembles A. multiformis Burgess, but the bracts 

 squarrose and leaves hispidulous above ; cordation seems wanting but will probably yet be 

 found on some basal leaves. 



Near Columbia, South Carolina. Fall. 



14. Aster anomalus Engelm. Stem 3-9 dm. high, rough, rather stout, branched 

 above : leaf-blades thin, those of the basal and lower cauline leaves deeply cordate, ovate 

 or ovate-lanceolate, entire or slightly repand, rough -pubescent on both surfaces, acute or 

 acuminate, 7-10 cm. long, 2-5 cm. wide, with slender naked petioles ; those of the upper 

 cauline leaves with short petiole-like bases, or sessile, lanceolate, oblong, or linear, much 

 smaller : heads 26-30 mm. broad : involucre hemispheric ; bracts lanceolate, acute, or 

 acuminate, hirsute, imbricated in several series, their foliaceous tips spreading or reflexed : 

 ray -flowers 30-45 ; ligules 10-12 mm. long, bright blue-violet : pappus whitish. Kesembles 

 A. undulatus L., but with squarrose bracts. 



On limestone cliffs, Illinois to Missouri and Arkansas. Fall. 



15. Aster Shortii Hook. Stem 6-12 dm. high, roughish or smooth, slender, panic- 

 ulately branched above : leaf -blades thick, glabrous or nearly so above, finely and sparingly 

 pubescent beneath ; those of the basal and lower cauline leaves ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 

 cordate, rounded or even acuminate at the base, often wholly entire, 5-15 cm. long, dull 

 and scabrous above, borne on slender naked petioles ; those of the upper cauline leaves 

 lanceolate, entire, sessile or with short petiole-like bases, not cordate, those of the 

 branches small and scale-like : heads numerous, 25-30 mm. broad : involucre broadly cam- 

 panulate ; bracts linear, acute, puberulent, imbricated, their green tips appressed : ray- 

 flowers 10-15 ; ligules linear, violet, 10-12 mm. long : pappus tawny. 



On banks and edges of woods, Pennsylvania to Illinois, Virginia, Georgia and Tennessee. Fall. 



16. Aster Camptosorus Small. Stem 4-8 dm. tall, simple and glabrous below the 

 inflorescence, slightly flexuous : leaf-blades lanceolate, attenuate, 6-16 cm. long, resembling 

 those of Camptosorus rhizophyllus, entire, undulate and sometimes crisped, dark green, 

 smooth and lustrous above, paler and hispidulous beneath, those of the lower cauline leaves 

 deeply cordate at the rounded auricled base, slender-petioled, those of the upper cauline 

 subcordate or truncate at the base : heads relatively few, 25-30 mm. broad : peduncles 

 minutely scaly, scabrous-pubescent : involucres cylindric-campanulate and more or less con- 

 stricted at the middle, or turbinate when dry, 5-6 mm. high ; bracts linear-subulate, in- 

 curved, the middle and the acute tip deep green : ray-flowers numerous ; ligules deep 

 purple, about 1 cm. long. Kesembles A. Shortii, but leaves narrower, darker and shining. 



In open woods, Tennessee and Alabama. Fall. 



17. Aster Lowrieanus Porter. Stem 3-12 dm. tall, glabrous or nearly so through- 

 out, branched : leaf-blades thickish, firm, a little succulent, those of the basal leaves slen- 

 der-petioled, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, cordate, acute or obtusish, serrate, 5-15 cm. long, 

 those of the cauline leaves ovate to oblong, often cordate, contracted into winged petioles, 

 the uppermost lanceolate : heads usually not very numerous, 15-25 mm. broad, loosely 

 panicled : involucre turbinate ; bracts obtuse or obtusish, appressed : ray-flowers 12-20 ; 

 ligules light blue, 6-8 mm. long, but variable in length. Resembles A. cordifolius L. ; but 

 leaves smooth and glabrous, more wing-petioled, and inflorescence more glabrous. 



In woods, Connecticut to Iowa, North Carolina and Kentucky. Fall. 



18. Aster cordifolius L. Stem 3-15 dm. high, glabrous or nearly so, much- 

 branched and bushy: leaf-blades thin, rough, more or less pubescent, sharply serrate, 

 acuminate, those of the basal and lower cauline leaves slender-petioled, broadly ovate-cor- 

 date, 5-12 cm. long, those of the upper cauline leaves short-petioled or sessile, ovate or 

 lanceolate : heads very numerous, small, 12-18 mm. broad, handsome : involucre turbinate 

 to cylindric ; bracts oblong-linear, obtuse or obtusish, green-tipped, appressed : ray-flowers 

 10-20 ; ligules 6-8 mm. long, blue or violet, sometimes pale, rarely white : pappus whitish. 



In woods and thickets, New Brunswick to Minnesota, Georgia and Missouri. Late summer to 

 winter. A. cordifolius alvedrius Burgess, has the thin leaf-blades usually smoothish, cordate, tri- 

 angular-lanceolate, or broader : inflorescence dense, thyrsoid, not leafy, in form resembling that of 

 the lilac : bracts linear, acute : heads medium sized : rays blue. On shaded banks, Massachusetts to 

 North Carolina and Tennessee. 



