COMPOSURE. (COMPOSITE FAMILY.) 191 



3. A. Riidkll.l, Ait. Stem simple or corymbose at the summit, smooth, 

 many-leaved (l-3 high) ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, pointed, sharply serrate in the, 

 middle, very rough both sides and rugose-veined, closely sessile (2' -3' long), nearly 

 equal ; scales of the bell-shaped involucre oblong, oppressed, with very short and 

 siiyhdy spreading herbaceous tips; aehenia smooth. Bogs and low grounds, 

 Delaware to Maine and northward, near the coast. Aug. Rays light violet 

 Involucre nearly smooth, except the ciliate margins. 



4. A. SlircillosilS, Michx. Stems slender (j-l high), from long and 

 slender, or here and there tuberous-thickened, creeping snbteiranean shoots or suck- 

 ers, roughish-pubescent above, 1-2- or corymbosely several-flowered; leaves 

 roughish, obscurely toothed, lanceolate or the lower oblong-spatulate ; involucre 

 obconical or bell-shaped ('-' long), the whitish and coriaceous scales with sJtort 

 herbaceous tips, the outer ones shorter; achcnia slightly pubescent. Var. GK\CI- 

 LIS (A. gracilis, Nutt.) is a form with the scales of the narrower obconical invo- 

 lucre successively shorter and with very short and scarcely spreading green tips, 

 resembling a Sericocarpus. Moist grounds, pine barrens of New Jersey and 

 southward. Sept. Rays about 12, violet, ' long. Perhaps runs into the 

 next. 



5. A. spectiibilis, Ait. Stems (l-2 high) minutely rough and glan- 

 dular-pubescent at the summit; leaves oblong-lanceolate, roughish, obscurely toothed, 

 tapering to the base; scales of the short and almost hemispherical involucre linear- 

 oblong, rvith conspicuous spatulate glandular-downy tips, the outermost scarcely shorter ; 

 achcnia slightly pubescent. Sandy soil, Massachusetts to New Jersey, near 

 the coast, and southward. Sept. -Nov. One of the handsomest of the genus, 

 though the heads arc few. The rays, about 20, are narrowly lanceolate, nearly 

 1' long, very deep violet-blue. Involucre ' long and wide. 



$ 3. ASTER PROPER. Scales of the involucre imbricated in various degrees, with 

 herbaceous or leaf-like summits, or the outer ones entirely foliaceous : rays numerous: 

 pappus soft and nearly uniform : aehenia flattened. (All flowering late in sum- 

 mer or in autumn.) 



* Leaves silvery-silky both sides, all sessile and entire, mucronulate .* involucre imbri- 

 cated in 3 to sei'eral rows : rays showy, purple-violet. 



6. A. serieeilS, Vent. Stems slender, branched ; leaves lanceolate or 

 oblong; heads mostly solitary, terminating the short silvery branchiate; scales of 

 the globular involucre similar to the leaves, spreading, except the short coriaceous 

 base, silvery; aehenia smooth, many-ribbed. Prairies and dry banks, Wisconsin 

 to Kentucky and southward. An elegant silvery species; the large heads with 

 20-30 rays of ' or more in length. 



7. A. COllCOlor, L. Stems wand-like, nearly simple; leaves crowded, ob- 

 long or lanceolate, appressed, the upper reduced to little bracts ; heads in a simple or 

 compound wand-like raceme; scales of the obovoid involucre closely imbricated iu 

 several rows, appressed, rather rigid, silky, lanceolate; aehenia silky. Dry sandy 

 soil, pine barrens of New Jersey and southward. A handsome plant, l-3 

 high, with the short leaves 1 ' or less in length, grayish-silky and of the sanre 

 hue both sidesi. Rays bright violet-purple. 



