.ASTER PATENS. SPREADING ASTER. I 59 



cone-like ; but the receptacle of an Aster is flat and pitted with 

 little holes. The seed, or akene, is more or less flattened; and 

 the pappus, which, in so many flowers of the order, give the seed 

 a sort of downy crown, in Aster is but in a single row and com- 

 posed of slender bristles. When the student has all of these 

 characters in one single head, he has most likely happened on 

 an Aster ; and it is by similar easy combinations of characters 

 that any genus of asteraceous plants may be easily traced. 



In determining the species, the leaves, involucre, petals and 

 general habit have to be taken also collectively. With close 

 attention to these and some other points Asters are not more 

 difiicult of study than other plants. In the species native to the 

 eastern United States, Dr. Gray pays attention first to the root 

 leaves. Some have these heart-shaped ; others not. As we see 

 in Fig. I, our plant belongs to the last section. Then there are 

 some which have the lower leaves not heart-shaped, but have the 

 upper leaves somewhat of this character, and here we find our 

 plant. In this section he has but three species, of which two are 

 described as very smooth, and the other rough-pubescent. This 

 latter character suits our plant, — but hairiness or smoothness is a 

 rather variable character in plants, and it will not be safe to rely 

 on this alone in the leaves and stems ; but we see the akene (in 

 Fig. 4) is silky, and this character is more constant in this part 

 and is of more value in deciding the species. The manner in 

 .which the flowers are produced on the stem is always of impor- 

 tance in an Aster. At times the terminal flowers are on short- 

 ened stalks, while the lower ones are lengthened, giving the 

 whole mass of flowers a sort of umbrella-like or corymbose ap- 

 pearance ; while others have shortened side branches, producing 

 a racemed or spike-like character. Our species is intermediate 

 in this respect. Sometimes the lateral branches are short, 

 making a slender panicle ; at other times they are on slender 

 branchlets from two to six inches in length, which push out hori- 

 zontally and at right angles with the main stem ; and it is from 

 this "patent" or spreading character of these branchlets that the 



