ASTER 



ASTER 



417 



desired, by cuttings. If distinctness of variety and color 

 is no object, seeding may be employed; sow early in 

 spring, thinly in rows; transplant seedlings in August 

 or early in September and await their coming into 

 flower the following season. (R. Rothe.) 



A. Old World asters, some of 



them old garden plants, 

 and somewhat modified 

 by cult. Nos. 1-12. 



B. Sts. simple and scape-like, 



bearing a single fl., 

 sometimes branched in 

 A. Thomsonii. 

 c. Rays purplish or violet. 



1. alpinus, Linn. Lvs. 

 entire and spatulate, form- 

 ing a cluster on the ground, 

 those on the st. small and 

 linear: st. 3-10 in., bearing 

 a large violet-rayed, hand- 

 some head. B.M. 199. Gn. 

 76, p. 122. In its wild 

 state, the plant also occurs 

 in the Rocky Mts. Valuable 

 alpine or rockwork plant, 

 with fls. varying to pink 

 and white. Var. speci6sus, 

 Hort., is taller and stronger, 

 with heads 3 1 in. across. 

 Var. superbus, Hort. (Gn. 

 54:328. G. 32:591), is a 

 large and showy form. Var. 

 albus is a beautiful pure 

 white-fld. form of the type. 

 G.M. 50:617. 



2. Thomsonii, Clarke. 

 An erect, sometimes laxly 

 branched herb, with slender, 

 flexuous, hairy branches : 

 Ivs. 2-4 in. long, almost 

 clasping at the base: fls. 

 solitary, \ l A-2y 2 in. wide, 

 the rays reddish purple, 

 about 20-30 in each head. 

 Himalaya region. Gn.W. 

 23:27. Gn. 42, p. 295. To 



be treated as an alpine near N. Y. 

 referred to Calimeris. 



G.C. III. 38:23. G.M. 48:411. Gn. 68, p. 11. Needs 

 protection N. June. 



5. pyrenaeus, DC. St. erect, simple, 10-18 in. high: 

 Ivs. sessile, roughly pubescent, oblong-lanceolate and 

 prominently 3-nerved : fls. solitary or 2 or 3 together, at 

 least 2^ in. wide, the numerous rays lilac, the disk- 

 fls. yellow. S. Eu. Aug., Sept. 



DD. Plants 2-3 ft. high. 



6. diplostephioides, Benth. Two to 3 ft., soft-pubes- 

 cent or hairy, the st. simple and solitary: Ivs. obovate or 

 pblanceolate, entire but ciliate: solitary head large, 

 inclined, 2-3 in. across, blue or pale purple, very showy. 

 Himalayas. B.M. 6718. J.H. III. 33:262. G.C. III. 

 48:56. G.M. 35:445. In the American trade has been 

 misspelled A. Deptostaphides. Var. Falconer i, Clarke 

 (A. Fdlconeri, Hort.), from Cashmir, has very large 

 sky-blue heads. 



BB. Sts. usually branched and several* to many-fid. 



7. Amellus, Linn. St. simple or nearly so, few-fld. or 

 sometimes only 1-fld. : Ivs. oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, 

 somewhat serrate, more or less 3-nerved, roughish, 

 pubescent: involucre scales oblong, obtuse or nearly 

 so, spreading, in 4-5 rows; heads large, purple. Eu. and 



419. Aster cordifolius. A handsome 

 blue-flowered native aster. ( X l /i> 



Perhaps better 



cc. Rays predominantly blue or lilac. 

 D. Plants low, not over 1 ft. in height. 



3. himalaicus, C. B. Clarke (A. himalayensis, Hort.). 

 Similar to A. alpinus, but dwarf er: rays lilac-blue, 

 slightly recurved at the tip: sts. 4-12 in., slightly vil- 

 lous: Ivs. oblong or elliptic, nearly entire. Himalayas, 

 13,000-15,000 ft. Little known in Amer. 



4. subcaeruleus, S. Moore. Erect herb from a tufted 

 mat of foliage with sessile, nearly oblong Ivs., all a little 

 hairy: Ivs. entire or sometimes slightly denticulate: fls. 

 large, solitary on long stalks, at least 2 in. wide, the rays 

 a beautiful pale blue, the disk yellow; involucral Ivs. 

 broadly oblong, ciliate. N.W.India. June. G. 32:449. 



27 



420. Aster nova-anglise. One of the best and most showy 

 of native asters. ( X 1$) 



Asia. Gn. 27, p. 202; 35:172. Variable, and several 

 well-marked garden forms. | 



8. Var. bessarabicus, DC. (A. bessardbicus, Bernh.). 

 Lvs. oblong and attenuated at base: plant taller and 

 la_rger-fld., deep purple. G. 21, p. 167. Gn. 35, p. 173; 

 75, p. 511. Showy and desirable. 



9. sibiricus, Linn. A foot or sometimes nearly 2 ft. 

 high, somewhat pubescent, each branch terminating in 

 a single head: Ivs. oblong-spatulate to broad-lanceolate, 

 serrate, almost clasping the st.: heads violet or lilac. 



