196 COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



3. Heads much crowded in a terminal compound corymb. 



S. rigida, in dry soil, a tall and stout species, minutely hoary-downy and 

 roughish, the thick oval or oblong leaves with a strong midrib ; the remarkably 

 large heads as many as 30-flowered. 



S. lanceolata, along river-banks, only 2 - 3 high, very bushy-branched, 

 nearly smooth, with lance-linear 3 - 5-nerved leaves, and dense flat corymbs of 

 small heads sessile in clusters, the small rays 15-20, the disk-flowers fewer. 



S. tenuifolia, in sandy ground, usually near the coast ; like the preceding, 

 but more slender, with narrow linear mostly 1-nerved dotted leaves, and nar- 

 rower or club-shaped heads, the small rays 6-12. 



35. CALLISTEPHUS, CHINA-ASTER. (Name from Greek words 

 meaning beautiful crown.) Fl. all summer. (T) 



C. Chinensis, the well-known CHINA-ASTER, of the gardens, a native of 

 China and Japan, has numerous varieties of various colors, the lines t full- 

 double. 



36. ASTER, STAR WORT, ASTER. (Name, aster, a star.) This vast 

 genus (with which SERICOCARPUS and DIPLOPAPPUS may be here included) 

 is too difficult for beginners, and those who are prepared for their study will 

 naturally use the Manual for the northern species, and Chapman's Southern 

 Flora for the few that are peculiarly southern. We barely mention the com- 

 monest and more distinct or striking of our 40 or 50 wild species. Fl. late 

 summer and autumn. ^ 



1. With heart-shaped and petioled leaves, at least the lower ones. 



* Heads in open corymbs, middle-sized : rays white or nearly so and rather few. 



In woodlands, rather early -Jlowering. 



A. COrymb6sus, COUYMBED ASTER. Rather slender, with thin coarsely- 

 toothed and sharp-pointed leaves, which are considerably longer than broad, 

 and only 6-9 rays. 



A. macroph^llllS, LARGE-LEAVED A. Larger and stouter, 2 -3 high, 

 with broader and thickish rather rough leaves, and more rigid corymbs of larger 

 heads, with 12-24 rays. 



# * Heads panicled, numerous and small. In woodlands, Sfc. 



A. cordifdlius, HEART-LEAVED A., is smooth or smoothish, much 

 branched, with thinnish serrate leaves on slender petioles, and very numerous 

 loosely panicled small heads, the rays pale blue or whitish. 



A. undlllatus, WAVY-LEAVED A., is minutely downy, with the leaves only 

 slightly toothed or Avavy, the lowest heart-shaped and on margined petioles, the 

 upper abruptly contracted into short and broadly winged petioles with dilated 

 and clasping base, or else sessile by a heart-shaped base ; the heads larger and 

 in narrow or raceme-like panicles, and with rather showy purple-blue rays. 



2. With lower leaves never heart-shaped, the upper ones sessile and partly clasp- 

 ing by a heart-shaped or auricled base : htads large or rather large, showy, 

 the numerous rays purple or blue. 



# Scales of the involucre not at all leafy, but with short greenish tips, rigid, close- 



pressed in many ranks, the outer successively shorter : rays deep-colored : 

 leaves entire or nearly so. Dry grounds. 



A. patens, SPREADING A. Rough with short hairiness, l-3 high, with 

 long widely spreading branches, and single large heads terminating the slender 

 minutely-leaved branchlets ; all the stem-leaves clasping, usually lance-oblong 

 or lance-ovate, the larger ones often contracted above the heart-shaped base, 

 rough-edged ; rays deep puq)le-violet. 



A. laevis, SMOOTH A. Well-known by its perfect smoothness, pale, often 

 glaucous, with lanceolate or lance-ovate leaves, heads middle-sized in a rather 

 close panicle, involucre of close-pressed whitish scales with abrupt green tips, 

 and rays sky-blue. 



