

White and Greenish 



White Asters or Starworts 



(Aster = a star) Thistle family 



In dry, open woodlands, thickets, and roadsides, from August 

 to October, we find the dainty White Wood Aster (A. divaricatus) 

 A. corymbosus of Gray its brittle zig-zag stem two feet high 

 or less, branching at the top, and repeatedly forked where loose 

 clusters of flower-heads spread in a broad, rather flat corymb. 

 Only a few white rays usually from six to nine surround the 

 yellow disk, whose florets soon turn brown. Range from Canada 

 southward to Tennessee. 



First to bloom among the white species, beginning in July, 

 is the Upland White Aster (A. ptarmicoides), which elects to 

 grow in the rocky or dry soil of high ground in the northern 

 United States westward to Colorado. The leaves, which resemble 

 grayish-green shining grass-blades, arranged alternately up the 

 rigid stem, and diminishing in size near the top until they become 

 mere bracts among the flowers, enable us to name the plant. 

 The heads, in a branching cluster, are not numerous ; each 

 measures barely an inch across its ten to twenty snow-white 

 rays ; the centre is of a pale yellow-green, turning a light brown 

 in maturity. 



The Tall White or Panicled Aster (A. paniculatus), in bloom 

 from August to October in different parts of its wide range, 

 attracts great numbers of beetles, which do it more harm than 

 good ; but many more butterflies (some of whose caterpillars feed 

 on aster foliage as a staple), quantities of flies, some moths, 

 swarms of bees, wasps, and miscellaneous winged visitors. 

 Professor Robertson found several thousand callers, representing 

 ninety-eight distinct species, on this one aster during four October 

 days. Such popularity as the asters have attained finds its just 

 reward in the triumphant progress of the lovely tribe (see page 

 73). For the amateur to name each member of such a horde is 

 quite hopeless. In branching, raceme-like clusters, from August 

 to October, this aster displays its numerous flower-heads, less 

 than an inch across, each with a green cup formed of four or five 

 series of overlapping bracts, and many white rays, occasionally 

 violet tipped. The smooth stem, which rises from two to eight 

 feet above moist soil, is plentifully set with alternate, pointed- 

 tipped, lance-shaped leaves, tapering to a sessile or partly clasp- 

 ing base, and sparingly saw-edged. Its range is from Montana 

 east to Virginia, south to Louisiana, north to Ontario and New 

 England. 



The bushy little White Heath Aster (A. ericoides) every one 

 must know, possibly, as Michaelmas Daisy, Farewell Summer, 

 White Rosemary, or Frostweed ; for none is commoner in dry 

 soil, throughout the eastern United States at least. Its smooth, 



263 



