GENUS 31. 



THISTLE FAMILY. 



429 



61. Aster missouriensis Britton. Missouri 

 Aster. Fig. 4342. 



Aster missouriensis Britton, in Britt. & Brown, 111. Fl. 3 : 

 378. 1898. 



Stem densely puberulent or pubescent, at least 

 above, much branched, 2 high or more. Leaves thin, 

 oblong-lanceolate to oblanceolate, acute or acumi- 

 nate at the apex, sharply serrate above the middle, 

 gradually tapering to an entire sessile or slightly 

 clasping base, or the lower petioled, puberulent above, 

 finely pubescent beneath, the larger $'-4' long, the 

 upper much smaller, entire; heads 6"-8" broad, pan- 

 icled, short-peduncled, or terminating short leafy 

 branchlets, sometimes somewhat secund ; involucre 

 2"-3" high, its linear acute bracts well imbricated, 

 ciliate or pubescent ; rays white. 



In moist soil, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa. Sept.-Oct. 



62. Aster Tradescanti L. Tradescant's 

 Aster. Michaelmas Daisy. Fig. 4343. 



Aster Tradescanti L. Sp. PI. 876. 1753. 



Stem slender, paniculately branched, 2-5 high, 

 the branches usually ascending and often pubes- 

 cent in lines. Stem leaves linear-lanceolate or 

 lanceolate, acuminate at the apex, narrowed to a 

 sessile base, 3 '-6' long, ii"-6" wide, glabrous or 

 nearly so on both sides, commonly thin, sharply 

 serrate in the middle with low teeth, or sometimes 

 entire; heads very numerous, racemose but not 

 secund on the branches, 5 "-^8" broad; involucre 

 hemispheric to broadly turbinate, 2"-3" high, its 

 bracts linear, acute, appressed, green-tipped, im- 

 bricated in 4 or 5 series ; rays white or nearly so, 

 numerous, 2"-$" long ; pappus . white ; achenes 

 minutely pubescent. 



In fields and swamps, Maine to Virginia, Ontario, 

 Illinois and Missoviri. Aug.-Oct. 



Aster saxatilis (Fernald) Blanchard, of rocky situ- 

 ations in New England, appears to be a low race of 

 this species, rather than of A. vimineus. 



63. Aster Faxoni Porter. Faxon's Aster. 

 Fig- 4344- 



Aster polyphyllus Willd. Enum. 888. 1809. Not Moench, 



1802. 



Aster Faxoni Porter, Mem. Torr. Club 5: 323. 1894. 

 A. ericoides Randi Britton, in Britt. & Brown, 111. Fl. 3 : 



379- 1898. 



Glabrous throughout ; stem paniculately or corym- 

 bosely branched; rather stout, i-5 high. Stem 

 leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acute or acumi- 

 nate, narrowed to a sessile base, or the lower into 

 margined petioles, entire or nearly so, firm, 2'-s' 

 long, 2"-4" wide, those of the branches gradually 

 smaller; basal leaves oblong to spatulate, obtuse, 

 dentate, or entire ; heads not very numerous, 6"-p" 

 broad ; involucre hemispheric, nearly 4" high, its 

 bracts linear-lanceolate, acute or subulate, green- 

 tipped or green on the back, imbricated in about 3 

 series, the outer shorter; rays bright white, rarely 

 purplish, 3" -4" long, numerous ; pappus white ; 

 achenes minutely pubescent. 



On moist cliffs, Maine and Vermont to Pennsylvania, 

 Wisconsin and North Carolina. Aug.-Sept. 



