AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



139 



Aster continued. 



ones serrated; branches corymbose, smooth. A. 3ft North 



America. 



A. Shortii (Short's). JL-heads purplish blue, about lin. across ; 

 panicles long, racemose, Autumn. L lanceolate, elongated, 

 acuminated, cordate at the base. A. 2ft to 4ft Stem slender, 

 spreading. North America. 



A. sibiricus (Siberian). A.-headt blue ; involucre loose ; leaflets 

 lanceolate, acuminate, hispid. August L lanceolate, sub-am- 

 plexicaul, serrate, pilose, scabrous. A. 2ft Siberia, 1768. 



A. sikMmensis (Sikkimese).* JL-head* purple ; leaflets of in- 

 volucre linear, acuminate, sub-squarrose. October. I. lanceo- 

 late, acuminate, spinosely denticulate; radical ones on longer 

 petioles ; cauline ones sessile ; corymbs large, of many heads, 

 leafy, erect, glabrous, branched. A. 3ft Sikkim, 1850. 



A. spectabilis (showy).* fl.-heads blue ; scales of involucre loose, 

 leafy. August L lanceolate, roughish, somewhat amplexicaul ; 

 lower ones serrate in the middle. A. 2ft North America, 1777. 

 A very pretty species. 



A. spurius (spurious). A.-heads purple, large, few ; inner scales 

 of involucre coloured. September. I. linear-lanceolate, amplexi- 

 caul, polished. Stem virgate, panicled. Branches racemose. A. 4ft 

 North America, 1789. SYX. A. rubricaule. 



A. tardiflorus (late-flowering), jl. -heads blue, numerous. Au- 

 tumn. I. sessOe, serrated, smooth, spathulate-lanceolate, nar- 

 rowed at base, and bent down towards each side. A. 2ft North 

 America, 1775. 



A. Townshendl (Townshend's). Synonymous with A. Bigelorii. 



A. Tradescanti (Tradescant's).* fl.-headt white ; involucre imbri- 

 cated. August I. lanceolate-sessile, serrated, smooth ; branches 

 virgate. Stem round, smooth. A. 3ft North America, 1633. A. 

 multi/lorus is very much like this species, and, perhaps, a mere 

 form thereof, with somewhat smaller flowers and more obovate- 

 oblong leaves. 



A. tripolium (Tripoli). Michaelmas Daisy. fl.-head blue ; disk 

 yellow; scales of involucre lanceolate, membranous, obtuse, 

 imbricated. August i. linear-lanceolate, fleshy, obscurely throe- 

 nerved. Stem glabrous, corymbose. A. 2ft Britain. 



Aster continued. 



autumn. L lanceolate, smooth, entire, with fringed margins, 

 somewhat stem-clasping; those of the branchlete awl-shaded; 

 A. 2ft. to 3ft North America. A very desirable species. See 



A, undulatus (undulated). JL-headt pale blue. August t 

 oblong-cordate, amplexicaul, entire; petioles wingedT Stem 

 peeled, hispid. Branchlets one-sided. ^. 3ft Nortli America. 



A. versicolor (various-coloured). 1 JL.-heads white, changing te 

 purple ; scales of involucre shorter than disk. August t sub- 

 amplexicaul, broad-lanceolate, sub-serrate, smooth. Stem glab- 

 rous. A. 3ft North America, 1790. 



The animals (Callistephu* chinensu), usually known as 

 French, German, or China Asters, are very extensively 

 grown, both for beds and pots, and their diversity and 

 generally compact growth render them almost universal 

 favourites. They require a rich loamy soil, and as the 

 roots are produced near the surface, a mulching of rotten 

 dung will be found most beneficial. Seeds may be raised 

 in a cold frame in March or April, and, when the 

 seedlings are large enough, they must be transplanted 

 into beds from 9in. to 12in. apart each way. If it 

 is desired to have them in pots, they may be removed 

 thence with a good ball of earth adhering just before they 

 commence flowering, liberally watered, and kept lightly 

 shaded from the sun, until root action is resumed. Those 

 kinds required for exhibition purposes should have several 

 of the side phoots removed, so that the whole growing 

 energy of the plant may be centralised into from fire to 

 seven flower-heads, by which means fine blossoms may be 

 obtained. The dwarf kinds are most valuable for bedding 

 and pots, as the taller kinds frequently require stakes for 

 support. The following are the most important sections : 

 Betteridge'B Prize. Very beautifully formed and brilliantly 

 coloured varieties, unsurpassed for exhibition purposes. As this 

 class has rather a straggling habit of growth, it is less suitable for 

 bedding and borders than many of the others. 

 Belize's Miniature Bouquet Pyramidal. Dwarf and ele- 

 gant, in compact bouquets of six or eight ; the truss of flower- 

 heads springs directly from the ground, having only a few leaves 

 at base. Colours very varied. A. 6in. to Sin. 



FIG. 183. TRUFFAUT-S PJSONT- 

 FLOWERED ASTER. 



FIG. 184. TRUFFACT'S PERFEC- 

 TION ASTER. 



FIG. 182. ASTER TURBINELLUS. 



A. turblnellus (turbinate). fl.-heads delicate mauve, disposed in 

 panicles ; involucre top-shaped, scales imbricate. Summer and 



Crown.* Distinct. The central portion, or disk, of the head of 

 flowers is pure white, surrounded by a broad margin of coloured 

 ray florets, such as purple, violet, crimson, rose, &c. Flower- 

 heads large, flat, freely produced. A. If t to lift 



Dwarf Chrysanthemum flowered.* In size of flower-beads 

 and habit of growth, this surpasses all other dwarf varieties. The 

 flowers are full, Chrysanthemum-shaped, produced in clusters, or 

 bouquets, from ten to twenty in a truss, very delicate and beautiful 

 in colour. A. 1ft. 



Dwarf Pyramidal or Dwarf Bouquet. A pretty little class, 

 and extremely floriferous, each plant producing from twenty to 

 fifty heads of blossom. Some of the colours are : Exquisite carmine 

 with white points, white with blue or carmine points, white with 

 salmon centre, &c. h. 1ft 



Improved Imbricate. The best strain of pyramidal Asters with 

 recurved florets ; fine regular form of flowers, double to the centre, 

 producing but few seeds. Colours very brilliant A. 2ft 



Improved Rose. A handsome class, producing a branched head, 

 displaying no less than fifty large double flower-heads, the outer 



