230 COMPOSIT.E. (composite family.) 



the uppermost taper-pointed, and also taperinfj Mow into a narrowed base or winjrcd 

 petiole; /uads smitll (less than ^' long, exclusive of the narrow r-.iys) ; involucre 

 between bell-shaped and top-shaped ; the scales ohscurdy (jlandnlttr, linear, or the 

 short outer ones oblonJ,^ wiih j;rcenish appressed tips; achenia linear, slightly 

 pubescent. — Borders of oak woods, in rather moist soil, New Bedford, Mass., 

 E. W. Ilcicei/. Sejtt. — An ambiguous member, and the snialle.st-Howered, of 

 the section. Pappus whitish, Hner than that of the preced;ng. 

 § 3. ASTER, proper. Scales of the involucre imbricated in various degrees, wiih 

 lierbaceous or Ituf-lilce summits, or the outer ones entirely follaceous : raijs numer- 

 ous: pappus sojland nearlij uniform: achenia JJatleiud. (All flowering late 

 in summer or in autumn.) 



* Leaves whitened, silvtri/silki/ both sidex, all sessile and entire, mucronulate : involu- 



cre imbricated in 3 to several tows: rays showy, purple-violet. 



7. A. sericeus, Vent. Stems slender, branched ; leaves silver-white, lance- 

 olate or oblong; htuJs mostly solitary, terminating the short branchlcts; scales of 

 the (jlobulur involucre sitnilar to the haves, sprcadiiiy, except the short coriaceous 

 base ; achenia smooth, many-ribbed. — Prairies and dry banks, Wisconsin to 

 Kentucky and southward. — Heads large: rays 20-30. 



8. A. COncolor, L. Stems wand-like, nearly simple ; leaves croicdcd, ob- 

 long or lani<ol(ile, appressed, tlie upper reduced to little bracts ; heads in a simple 

 or compound wand-like raceme; scales of the oliovoid involucre closely imbricated 

 in several rows, appressed, rather rigid, silky, lanceolate ; achenia silky. — Dry 

 sandy soil, pine barrens of New Jersey and southward. — Plant l°-3°high, 

 with the short leaves 1' or less in length, grayish-silky both sides. 



* * Lower leaves not heart-shaped ; the upper all sessile and more or le.ss clasping by 



a lu art-shaped or auricled base : heads showy : scales of the inversely conical or 

 bdl-shaptd involucre regularly imbricated in several rows, the outer successively 

 shorter, appressed, coriaceous, whitish, with short herbaceous tips: rays large, 

 purple or blue. 



9. A. patens, Ait. Rough- pubescent ; stem loosely panicled above (1° -.3° 

 high), with widely spreading branches, the heads mostly solitary, terminating 

 the slender branchlets ; le<ives oblong-lanceolate or ovate-oblong, often contracted 

 below the middle, all clasping by a deep auricled-heart-sluiped base, rough, especially 

 above and on the margins, entire ; scales of the minutely roughish involucre with 

 spreading pointed tips; achenia silky. — Var. phlogifolius is a form which 

 the plant assumes in shady moist places, with larger and elongated thin scarcely 

 rough leaves, downy underneath, sometimes a little toothed above, mostly much 

 contracted below the middle. — Dry ground: common, es])ecialiy southward. 

 Heads i' broad, and with showy deep blue-purple rays. 



10. A. Isevis, L. Vu-y smooth throughout : heads in a close panicle ; leaves 

 thickish, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, chiefly entire, the upper more or less 

 clasping by an auricled or heart-shaped base ; scales of the short-obovoid or hemi- 

 spherical inrohicre with appressed green points ; rays sky-blue ; achenia smooth. 

 A variable and elegant species, of which the two best-marked forms are : — 



Var. ISBVig^tuS. Scarcely if at all glaucous ; leaves lanceolate or oblong; 

 involucre nearly hemispherical ; the scales lanceolate or linear, with narrow and 



