418 



ASTER 



ASTER 



Arctic Eu. and Amer.^ and Rocky Mts. — Excellent 

 rockwork plant. 



H). acris, Linn. About 2-3 ft., slender-branched: Ivs. 

 linear, or ianco-linear: heads large and blue, with long, 

 distinct, handsome rays. S. Eu. Gn. 37:240. G.M. 

 34:Glo. — Excellent showj* garden plants. A dwarf 

 form is .4. canus. \'ar. nanus is a very dwarf form, not 

 exceeding 15 in. 



11. trinervius, Roxbg. About 3 ft., stout, corymbose 

 at simimit : l\s. lance-ovate, 1-4 in. long, usually rough 

 on both sides and strongly toothed: heads large, blue 

 or purple (a pale variety) with narrow, spreading 

 rays. Himalayas. R.H. 1892:396. — Hardy, handsome, 

 variable. 



12. tataricus, Linn. f. St. erect and striate, hispid, 

 corymbose at "the summit, often 7 ft. high: Ivs. large 

 (the radical 2 ft. long), lanceolate or oval lanceolate, 

 attenuate at base, entire: involucre scales purplish at 



421. Aster Herveyi. 



tip; heads blue or purple, late. Siberia. G.F. 4:197. — 

 Excellent for the hardy border, particularly for its 

 ver>' late blooming. \'ar. Petersianus, Hort., has nar- 

 rower ivs. and pale blue rays and yellow disk. China. 

 AA. Native Asters. These plants are one of the charms 

 of the American autumn, and are amongst the best 

 of all hardy border plants. They usually improve 

 greatly in habit when transferred to cultivated grounds. 

 Any of these wild asters are likely to come into culti- 

 vation at any time. The number of kinds is large. The 

 student will find them all desfribed in Gray's Synopti- 

 cal Flora of North America, 1, pt. 2. Those of the north- 

 eastern states and adjacent Canada will be found in 

 Britton and Brown's Illastrated Flora of the United 

 States and Gray's Manual. Those of the South are 

 described in Small's Flora of the Southeastern States, 

 and those of the Rocky Mountains in Nelson's Manual 

 of Rocky Mountain Botany. The following comprises 

 those known to be in cultivation. Of these, A. novie- 

 anglix is the best known in domestication. The species 

 are much confused. 



B. Basal and lower Ivs. cordate and slender petioled. 

 c. I'liint glandular: rays violet. 



13. macrophyllus, Linn. Fig. 418. Perennial about 

 214 ft. tall with reddish angular st.: Ivs. cordate and 

 petioled below, on the upper part, of St. sessile and 

 acute: rays about 16, violet-lavender, the involucrate 

 bracts prominently green-tipped. E. N. Amer. G.F. 4: 

 89 (adapted in Fig. 418). — Suitable for dry shady 

 places. 



cc. Plants not glandular: rays blue or purple. 



14. Shortii, Hook. Perennial, 3-4 ft., with a rough, 

 usually slender paniculately branched st.: Ivs. thick, 

 usually quite smooth, the lower cordate, the upper 

 lanceolate and quite entire and those of the small 

 branches bract-like: heads very numerous, the 10-15 

 violet-blue ravs showy and linear. S. E. tf. S. G.F. 

 4:473. G.C.III. 32:269.— Cult, easy, even in dry 

 rock}' places. 



15. cordifolius, Linn. Fig. 419. Perennial, much- 

 branched herb, 3-4}^ ft., with a smooth st. and thin, 

 rough, usually hairy Ivs., the lower cordate, the upper 

 ovate or lanceolate: heads very numerous, not over }'2in. 

 diam., the pale blue rays usually 10-20 in number. Cent. 

 N. Amer. Gn.M. 3:211. — Can be grown almost any- 

 where. There are many varieties, the best being var. 

 polycephalus with more heads than the type. Gn. 40, 

 p. 337. — In cult, it has varied much and is prized 

 abroad. A. elegans is probably a form of it. Var. 

 magnificus is large with many small fis. 



BB. No cordate and petioled Ivs.: those of the st. with 



clasping bases. 



c. St. rough or Idrsute, pubescent. 



16. nSvae-angliae, Linn. New England Aster. 

 Fig. 420. A stout-std. corymbosely branched perennial, 

 3-5 ft.: Ivs. oblong-lanceolate, clasping the St., hairy, 

 2}^4 in. long: fls. numerous, showy, the 40-50 violet- 

 purple rays about j2-54in. long. E. N. Amer. A.F. 

 9:283. — The best and most widely known native aster 

 suitable for open places but partial to moisture. 

 Var. roseus, Hort., an excellent rose-colored form, is 

 offered by some dealers. Many cult, forms in European 

 collections. 



cc. <S(. quite smooth. 



17. Ijevis, Linn. (,4. decurrens, Hort.). Perennial, 

 with .stout often glaucous st., 2-3 ft.: Ivs. thick, sharply 

 toothed, often rough-margined, the upper strongly st.- 

 clasping: heads numerous, about 1 in. wide, the 15-30 

 blue or violet rays acutish. N. E. N. Amer. — There are 

 several varieties, but apparently not known to the 

 trade. 



18. ndvi-belgii, Linn. New York Aster. Widely 

 variable, slender-std. perennial, 2-3 ft. : Ivs. lanceolate, 

 or oblong-lanceolate, entire, smooth, 2 J 2-5 in. long: 

 heads many, in a coiymbose-paniculate infl., the 1.5-25 

 rays a rich violet. Atlantic coast from Maine to Ga. — 

 Suitable for moist places. Many garden varieties and 

 hybrids are known, but they are mostly confined to the 

 European trade. A. eminens and A. csespitbsus proba- 

 blj' belong here. 



BBB. Lvs. neither cordate nor st .-clasping . 



19. Herveyi, Gray. P'ig. 421. A rough-std. peren- 

 nial, 2-3 ft., with firm lvs. that are rough above, hairy 

 on the veins beneath, 2J^-5 in. long, and toothed: 

 heads numerous, about 2 in. broad, with 15-25 violet 

 rays, very showy. New England. G.F. 2:473 (adapted 

 in Fig. 421). Good for dry sandy soil. 



20. ericoides, Linn. White Heath Aster. Frost- 

 weed AsTBK. A smooth-std. perennial with panicu- 

 lately, much-branched facies, 2-3 ft.: lvs. slender, 

 tho.se of the st. narrowly linear and acute, not over 2,^ 

 in. long, usually shorter: fls. very numerous, the heads 

 not over J4in. wide, and composed of 15-25 white rays. 



