136 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



ABTEPHATTUS (from a, without, and Stephanos, a 

 corona ; corona absent). OBD. Asclepiadece. A genus of 

 pretty evergreen greenhouse twiners. Flowers few, small, 

 disposed in interpetiolar umbels ; corolla campannlate. 

 Leaves small, opposite. They thrive in a compost of turfy 

 peat, leaf soil, and loam, in equal parts. Very little water 

 is required when the plants are at rest. Cuttings root 

 readily in sandy soil in a moderate heat. Propagation may 

 also be effected by division. 



A. linearls (linear), ft. white, ; umbels dividing in threes, lateral 

 and terminal. July. I. lin. long, opposite, linear-lanceolate. 

 Stem glabrous. Cape of Good Hope, 1816. 



A. trlflorus (three-flowered).* ft. white; umbels generally three- 

 flowered. July. I. opposite, lanceolate, villous beneath. Stems 

 hairy. Cape of Good Hope, 1816. 



(from aster, a star; general shape of flower- 

 Michaelmas Daisy; Star- wort. STN. Pinardia 

 (of Necker). OBD. Composite. Hardy herbaceous peren- 

 nials, except where otherwise stated. Heads solitary, 

 corymbose, or panicled, heterogamous, rayed ; ray florets 

 pistiliferous, one or two-seriate, fertile or neuter; lignle 

 elongated, white, blue, or purple ; disk florets hermaphro- 

 dite, fertile, tubular, yellow, five- cleft; involucre cam- 

 panulate or hemispheric ; bracts few or many-seriate, 

 outer smaller or larger ; receptacle flat or convex ; pappus 

 hairs few or copious, scabrid, outer sometimes shorter, 

 rigid, and paleaceous. Leaves alternate. This large genus 

 contains many handsome border and alpine deciduous per- 

 ennials (rarely biennials) of easy culture in ordinary soil. 

 They may be propagated by divisions in autumn or spring, 

 or by seeds in spring. The greenhouse species are mostly 

 evergreen shrubs, requiring a compost of peat, leaf soil, and 

 loam. Cuttings root readily in a sandy soil, under a hand 

 glass, with very little heat. 



A acris (acrid), ft. -heads blue ; involucre imbricated, 

 twice as short as the disk. August. I. linear-lanceo- 

 late, not dotted, three-nerved. A. 2ft. South Europe, 

 1731. 



(taper-pointed).* ft.-heads white; 

 panicle corymbose. September. I. broad-lanceolate, 

 narrowed at base, entire, with a very long point. 

 Stem simple, flexuous, angular. A. 2ft. North 

 America, 1806. 



A adulterinos (false), fl.-heads violet ; involucre 

 squarrose, shorter than the disk. September. I. 

 amplexicaul, lanceolate ; lower ones sub-serrate, 

 smooth ; those of the branches linear squarrose. A. 

 3ft. North America. 



A eestivus (summer-flowering).* /.-Aad*blue. July. 

 I. lanceolate, somewhat amplexicaul, narrowed at the 

 end, scabrous at edge. Stem erect, hispid ; branchlets 

 pilose. A. 2ft. North America, 1776. 



<whitish). ft.-heads purple or whitish, 



L albescens 

 nearly lin. ac 



ft.-heac 

 nbosely 



involucre ovate-linear, apiculate ; ray twenty-flowered. 

 August. I. lanceolate on short petioles, denticulate, 

 downy. Plant beset with rusty down. h. 3ft. Nepal, 



A alplnus (alpine).* ft.-heads bright purple, lin. to 

 2in. across ; scales of involucre nearly equal, lanceo- 

 late, bluntish. July. I., radical ones lanceolate- 

 spathulate ; those of the stem lanceolate. Stem one- 

 flowered. A. 6in. to 9in. Europe, 1658. A very 

 attractive species, having a dwarf, stout habit ; it 

 forms a useful and handsome subject for edging, and 

 its flowers are valuable for cutting purposes. Seo 

 Fig. 177. 



A a. albas (white).* fl.-heads white, in other respects 

 resembling the type ; but it is much less desirable, 

 and has not nearly so vigorous a habit. Europe, 



A altaicns (Altaian).* ft.-heads blue-purple, about 

 2in. across; stem simple, corymbose, downy. June, 

 July. 1. linear-lanceolate, entire, blunt mucronate, 

 three-nerved at base, veiny, h. 1ft. Siberia, 1804. 

 This, which is frequently considered a variety of A. 

 alpinus, is one of the handsomest. 



A alwartensls (Alwart). fl.-heads red ; ray very fine ; 

 involucre loosely squarrose. May. I. ovate, narrowed 

 at base, entire, about five-nerved, h. 1ft. Caucasus, 

 1807. 



A. Amelias (Amellus).* ft. -heads purple, solitary, numerous- 

 volucre imbricated squarrose ; leaves blunt; inner membranous' 



Aster continued. 



FIG. 177. ASTER ALPINUS. 



A. A bossarablous (Bessarabian).* A most desirable variety, 

 frequently seen in gardens ; it is rather taller than the type, with 

 larger flower-heads, of a deep purple colour. One of the showiest 

 of all the Asters. See Fig. 178. 



FIG. 178. ASTER AMELLUS BESSARADICUS. 



col 

 Italy, 



ner mem 



oured at edge. August. I. oblong-lanceolate, scabrous, 

 ly, 1596. One of thebest border kinds; also suitabt .for ro 



h. 2ft 

 ookeries' 



A. amplexicaulis (stem-clasping), fl.-heads violet. July, /.ovate- 

 oblong, acute, amplexicaul, cordate, serrated, smooth. Stem 

 panicled, smooth ; branches one to two-headed, h. 3ft. North 



pani . 

 America. 



