ORDER 70. COMPOSITE 425 



Ivs., growing in fields, Mass, to La. St. rigid, brownish, 2 to 3f high, terete, 

 with numerous small lids, densely racemed and somewhat 1-sided on the erect- 

 spreading, slender branches. Lower st. Ivs. 4' long, gradually reduced in size 

 upwards. Rays pale purple. Aug. Oct. 



ft. FRAOILIS. Cauline Ivs. serrulate or entire, short ; hds. much scattered on 

 the branches. (A. fragilis Willd.) 



32 A. miser Ait. T. & G. STARVED ASTER. St. racemous-paniculate, hairy 

 or pubescent ; Ivs. sessile, lanceolate, sharply serrate in the middle; invol. imbri- 

 cated with lance-linear, acutish scales ; rays short. A very variable species, com- 

 mon in old fields, hedges, U. S. and Can. In height it varies from G to 30', and 

 in luxuriance proportionately to the moisture or fertility of the soil. The st. is 

 very branching or nearly simple, bearing a large, compound, racemous panicle, or 

 a few simple racemes. Lvs. narrow-lanceolate, or broad-lanceolate, always sor- 

 rate, 1 to 5' in length. Hds. usually numerous, small, with small, white or pur- 

 plish rays. Aug. Oct. (A. miser, divergens, diffusus and pendulum Ait.) 



ft. DIFFUSUS. Branches spreading, diffuse ; Ivs. elliptic-lanceolate, more or 



less narrowly so, midvein hairy beneath : hds. often sessile, forming short, 



crowded spikes, or long, virgate ones, 

 y. HiRSCTiC-VULis. St. hirsute ; Ivs. long and narrow, midvein hirsute ; hds. 



racemous or spicatc. upper ones in short, dense branches; scales linear. (A. 



hirsuticaulis Lindl.) 



33 A. multiflortis L. Grayish, pubescent; st. diffusely branched; Ivs. linear, 

 entire, sessile, obtuse-mucronate, margins subciliate ; hds. small ; invol. imbricate, 

 squarrous, linear or spatulate, with oblong, obtuse, ciliate scales. A very bushy As- 

 ter, If, with very numerous, small lls. crowded on the racemous branches, each 

 with about 1 2 white ra3*s spreading 5 to 6". Lvs. 1 to 2' long, obtuse, very narrow, 

 diminishing upwards to the scales. Rocks and dry fields, U. S. Variable. Sept. 



34 A. grandiflorus L. Rough with stiff hairs ; st. rigid, branched, branches 

 somewhat corymbed and \-flowered; Ivs. linear-spatulate or linear-oblong, small, 

 obtuse, rigid, subclasping; hds. very large; invol. squarrous, of numerous, obtuse, 

 reflexed scales, the outer leafy. Dry, rocky places, Ya. to Ga. About 2f high. 

 Lvs. below 1 to 2' long, diminishing upwards. Rays showy, spreading 18 to 20'', 

 blue-purple. Sept. Nov. 



35 A. Carolinianus Walt. Rough-pubescent, divaricately branched; Ivs. 

 lance-ovate or obloag, acute, entire, clasping, the baso abruptly produced into 

 small, auriculate lobes; hds. very large, scattered; scales imbricate, with squar- 

 rous, spreading, green tips. A showy Aster, very tall, but slender, 6 to 13f high, 

 in damp thickets, S. Car. to Fla. Lvs. 1 to 3' long, 3 to 9'' wide. Rays rose- 

 purple, numerous, spreading 15". Sept., Oct. 



36 A. oblongifolius Nutt. St. rigid, diffusely branched, hairy; branches 

 spreading, with loose and irregular branchlets ; las. oblong-lanceolate, acute, mu- 

 cronate, partly clasping, entire, rough-edged, or the branches and branchlets 

 gradually passiny into the leafy, lanceolate, subequal, spreading scales. Prairies, &c., 

 W. States. Plant 1 to 2f high, often glandular-viscid. Caulino Ivs. 12 to 20'' by 

 3 to 5"; those of the branches 6" by 2", of the branchlets 3'' by -", indistin- 

 guishable from the scales. Rays purple. Pappus brownish. Sept., Oct. (A. 

 oblongifolius and A. graveolens Nutt.) 



37 A. Elliottii Torr. & Gr. Glabrous, stout; st. angular; Ivs. ample, lanceolate, 

 subclasping (not auricled), serrate, with remote, small, appressud teeth; hds. 

 middle size, corymbous-paniculatc; psd. naked; scales somewhat equal, linear-at- 

 tenuate, with spreading or recurved greenish tips. River-swamps, N. Car. to Ga. 

 A very stout Aster, 2 to 4f high. Lower Ivs. G' to 8' long, narrowed to a winged 

 petiole. Rays narrow, bright purple. Pappus tawny-white. Oct., Xov. 



38 A. virgatus Ell. Glabrous; st. and branches virgate, strict, racemed; Ivs. 

 linear-lanceolate, entire, half-clasping, margins ciliolate-serrulate, the upper re- 

 duced, becoming subulate, erect, numerous on the branches and peduncles; scales 

 lance-acuminate, the outer loose-spreading, graduating into the bracts : ach. glab- 

 rous. Ga. to La. Sts. 2 to 3f high. Lvs. below, 3 to G' by 3 to 6", firm and 

 ehining. Sept., Oct. Probably passes into the next. 



39 A Novi BSlgii L. NKW YORK ASTER. St. terete, stout, often glaucous, 



