DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWEKS. 135 



A. tuberosa. — Butterfly-weed. — Root large, fleshy, 

 branchiDg, somewhat fusiform, but it is only by compar- 

 ison wdth other species that it can be called tuberous ; 

 stems numerous, growing in bunches from the root, hairy 

 and dusky red ; flowers numerous, erect, and of a bright 

 orange color ; blooms in August. This fine ornamental 

 plant for the garden grows two feet high. A. pur- 

 picrascens, A. variegata, and others, are also ornamental ; 

 all the species would be interesting in large collections. 



ASTER. 



Nearly one hundred si^ecies of Asters, mostly peren- 

 nials, are described by botanists as indigenous to North 

 America. Many of them are without much beauty, and 

 may be considered as weeds. But some of the species 

 are quite beautiful, and would add much to the interest 

 of the border or shrubbery, if introduced into the gar- 

 den. The flowers are star shaped (hence the botanical 

 name) and it is often j^opularly called the Star-flower. 

 The color of the flowers varies, in the difierent species, 

 from white to light-blue, dark blue to purj^le ; some of 

 them are quite small as in A. multiforus^ and A. diffusus^ 

 w^hich, however, are handsome from the great profusion 

 of their flowers. A. JVbvce-A?iglice,}iiis large showy purple 

 flowers. A. puniceus, has fine sky-blue flowers. A col- 

 lection of the different species may be successfully made 

 when in flower, if the flower stems are cut off and the 

 roots planted in good soil. They wdll flower well in the 

 following autumn and will richly repay all the trouble, 

 provided there is plenty of room in the garden. I have 

 found that great improvement can be made in them by 

 cultivation. The China Aster does not belong to this 

 genus, but to Callistephus, under which name it will be 

 found. 



