CARDUACEAE 1221 



ray-flowers 40-50 ; ligules linear, 10-16 ram. long, violet-purple (typically a royal-purple, 

 rarely replaced by rose-color, or white) : achenes pubescent: pappus becoming reddish 

 white. 



In fields, and along swamps, Quebec to the Northwest Territory, south to South Carolina, and 

 Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas and Colorado. Summer and fall. 



57. Aster Carolimaims Walt. Stem widely or diffusely branched, 1-4 m. long, 

 finely and softly more or less grayish pubescent : leaves relatively few, those of the stem 

 and main branches with elliptic or oblong to oblong-lanceolate entire blades 4-11 cm. long, 

 acute or acuminate at the apex and usually somewhat sagittate and clasping at the base, 

 minutely pubescent : heads solitary or clustered at the ends of spreading conspicuously 

 leafy branches : involucre hemispheric, 6-8 mm. high ; bracts narrow, the outer more or 

 less spatulate, the inner linear, all with spreading or recurved and more or less foliaceous 

 dark-green tips minutely pubescent within and without : ray-flowers numerous ; ligules 

 pale purplish or pinkish, 1.5-2 cm. long : achenes glabrous. 



In and about swamps, South Carolina to Florida. Fall apd continuing long in flower. 



58. Aster puniceus L. Stems 9-25 dm. tall, usually stout, purplish, broadly corym- 

 bosely or racemosely branched above, hispid with rigid hairs rising from a reddened tuber- 

 cular base : leaf -blades lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 7-15 cm. long, acuminate, sessile 

 and clasping by a broad or narrowed base, sharply serrate (or some upper ones entire, 

 usually very rough above, pubescent on the midrib beneath : heads generally numerous, 

 2-4 cm. broad : involucre nearly hemispheric ; bracts linear or oblong, attenuate, imbri- 

 cated in about 2 series, glabrous or ciliate, green, loose, spreading, nearly equal, some- 

 times broadened : ray-flowers 20-40 ; ligules light-violet (sometimes purplish or pale), 

 10-14 mm. long, showy : pappus nearly white : achenes pubescent. 



In swamps. Nova Scotia to Ontario, Minnesota, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio and 

 Michigan. Summer and fall. 



59. Aster Ellidttii T. & G. Stem 5-11 dm. tall, glabrous or pubescent in lines, 

 corymbosely paniculate above : leaves rather numerous ; blades thickish, various, those of 

 the basal and lower cauline oblong to oblanceolate, 2-3 dm. long, with shallow appressed 

 or rounded teeth, narrowed into broad petiole-like bases, those of the upper cauline elliptic 

 to oblong-lanceolate, appressed-serrate, acute or acuminate, sessile or with petiole-like 

 bases : heads numerous, chiefly crowded at the end of each branch : bracts very narrow, lax 

 and often recurved, their tips linear-oblong or linear-subulate, and spreading : ray-flowers 

 numerous ; ligules narrowly linear, 9-11 mm. long, bright purple : achenes glabrous or 

 nearly so. .Resembles A. puniceus L. ; but inflorescence more corymbosely crowded and 

 level-topped ; bracts more attenuate and more spreading ; rays deeper-colored ; hairs with 

 tubercular bases little or not at all developed. 



In swamps, North Carolina to Florida. Fall. 



60. Aster conduplicatus Burgess. Plant chiefly pale green and smooth ; the purple- 

 red stem nearly smooth but with some lines of straggling thick-based bristles ; branches 

 short, rigidly spreading, congested toward their ends with irregularly crowded heads : leaf- 

 blades sessile, spatulate-linear, thick, smooth beneath, very rough above, without obvious 

 veins except the pale green midrib, entire or remotely crenulate-serrulate above the middle ; 

 axils sheathed by the conduplicate bases of the upper leaves : rameal leaves short, crowded, 

 spreading and irregular : heads almost sessile : rays blue or violet, fading whitish : bracts 

 linear, with triangular-acute apex, white scarious edges and bright green conspicuous del- 

 toid tip. Allied to A. Novi-Belgii and A. puniceu8. 



In moist soil near Biltmore, North Carolina. Fall. 



61. Aster prenanthoides Muhl. Stem 3-6 dm. high, glabrous or pubescent in lines 

 above, flexuous, much branched : leaf-blades thin, oblong to ovate-lanceolate, 7-15 cm. 

 long, sharply and coarsely serrate, scabrous above, glabrous or nearly so beneath, acumi- 

 nate, abruptly narrowed below into a broad-margined entire petiole, the base dilated and 

 auriculate-clasping : heads usually numerous, 25 mm. broad or more : involucre hemi- 

 spheric ; bracts linear, acute, green, spreading, imbricated in 3 or 4 series, the outer shorter : 

 ray-flowers 20-30 ; ligules violet, 8-12 mm. long : pappus tawny : achenes pubescent. Un- 

 like other asters in its leaf -form, characteristically a suborbicular base and an ovate- 

 acuminate end, connected by a strap-like middle. 



In moist soil, Massachusetts to Wisconsin, Tennessee and Iowa. Summer and fall. 



62. Aster Novi-Belgii L. Stem slender, 3-9 dm. high, usually much branched, 

 glabrous or slightly pubescent above : leaf -blades lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or linear- 

 lanceolate, 5-12 cm. long, firm, entire, or slightly serrate, glabrous or very nearly so, 

 acuminate at the apex, narrowed, sessile, and more or less clasping at the base, those of 

 the lower ones petioled : heads corymbose-paniculate, usually numerous, 2-3 cm. broad : 



