WEEDS OF THE THISTLE FAMILY. 



177 





146. ASTER ERICOIDES L. White Heath Aster. Frost-weed Aster. Steel- 



weed. (P. N. 1.) 



Stem glabrous, or (in the variety pilosus) rough-hairy, bushy or much 

 branched, 1-3 feet high ; leaves firm or rigid, the basal ones spoon-shaped, 

 toothed, narrowed into margined stalks; upper ones linear-lanceolate, en- 

 tire, gradually becoming short awl-shaped. Heads very numerous, inch 

 broad; involucre bell-shaped, its bracts linear, leathery, abruptly pointed, 

 overlapping in about 3 rows ; rays 15-25, white or pink tinged ; disk often 

 reddish-purple. (Fig. 135.) 



Abundant in southern Indiana in dry soil, especially on the 

 slopes of partly sterile or abandoned fields and pastures ; less fre- 

 quent northward. Sept.-Nov. Our 

 most common upland aster, often 

 taking complete possession of fallow 

 fields, commons and old pastures and 

 blooming until December 1st or 

 later. The old stems are somewhat 

 woody and the smaller branches and 

 flowers are borne along one side of 

 the larger ones. The hairy variety 

 is more common than the type. 

 Remedies : increased fertilization 

 and thorough cultivation; crowding 

 out with clover; sheep-grazing in 

 pastures. 



The heart-leaved or blue wood 

 aster (A. cordifolius L.) is our next most common upland form, 

 occurring in dry coarse soils along roadsides, fence rows and open 

 woods. It has broad, rough, thin, heart-shaped, pointed, sharply 

 toothed leaves and numerous small heads with 10-20 violet or blue 

 rays. Remedies the same. 



147. EKIGERON ANNUUS L. White-top. Daisy Fleabane. Sweet Scabious. 



(A. N. 1.) 



Stem erect, branched above, clothed with spreading hairs, 2-5 feet 

 high; leaves thin, lower and basal ones ovate or lanceolate, stalked, 

 coarsely toothed, 2-6 inches long; upper ones oblong, lanceolate or linear, 

 pointed, sharply toothed at middle or entire. Heads numerous, i inch 

 broad, short-stalked; receptacle flat, hairy; involucre cup-shaped, its 

 bracts narrow, in but one or two rows, nearly equal, rough-hairy; disk- 

 flowers many, yellow; rays 40-70, in 2 or more rows, linear, White or 

 purplish, pistillate. Achenes flattened; pappus double, the inner a row 

 of slender fragile, tawny bristles which fall away, the outer of partly 

 united slender scales. (Fig. 136.) 



Very common in clover and timothy fields, along fence-rows and 

 roadsides. May-Nov. Associated with it is the slender daisy flea- 

 mi 



Fig. 135. Disk-flower and leaf, 

 and Brown.) 



(After Britton 



