42': 



ASTER 



ASTILBE 



tules on the under side of the leaves. The dise;use 

 csm be held in eheek b.\- thoroii};h spraying witli a 

 funjjieide. The Pennsylvania blister beetle is so de- 

 structive to iuiters south of the latitmie of New York 

 that it is now eoninionly known !us "the aster beetle." 

 It is a large, soft-bodied, blaek beetle. It feeds on the 

 flower. Sprayin;; with an arsenical poi.son will control 

 the beetles in the field. Frequent hand-picking can be 

 practised in the garden. The season of this insect is 

 short. The "tarnished plant-bug" causes extensive 

 dajn:ige to asters, most of which is commonly attributed 

 to otlier causes. The inconspicuous yellowish brown 

 insect, smaller than a hous(»-fiy, easily escapes notice. 

 The terminal buds that are punctured by the bug, 

 usually die. Frequently the liranch becomes diseased 

 and sometimes the entire plant is dwarfed and sickened. 

 The insects cannot be poisoned, but kerosene emulsion 

 and wliale-t>il soap are effectual deterrents. Asters 

 growing in partial shade are seldom injured by plant- 

 bugs. Giso, Arnold. 



ASTEROLINOStRIS (name derived from Aslcr and 

 LinosyrU). Composilse. A plant with "rosy-mauve 

 petals, mixed yellow," reputed to be a hybrid between 

 Aster dcris and ^4. Linosyris {Linospris vulgaris). 

 Apparently a bi-generic hybrid. Asterolinosi/ris WUl- 

 vxdtlise is the only species offered, and apparently not 

 by American dealers. N. Taylor. 



ASTILBE (Greek, meaning not shining). Saxifra- 

 gaccse. Includes Holbia. Ornamental perennial herbs 

 grown chiefly for their showy panicles of white or pink 

 flowers. 



Leaves temately 2-3-pinnate: fls. perfect or dicecious; 

 calyx 5-, rarely 4-lobed; petals as many, rarely want- 

 ing"; stamens 10 or 8, rarely 5; pistils 2 or 3, distinct or 

 Earth" connate: fr. 2 or 3 de- 

 iscent foUicles with many mi- 

 nute seeds. — .\bout 14 species 

 in Cent, and E. Asia, Java and 

 ¥j. X. Amcr. They look much 

 hke .\runcus (which see), and 

 are often called Spira;a. Arun- 

 cus and Spira'a are rosaceous 

 genera, and are characterized 

 by many stamens and usually 

 bj- several to many separate 

 pistils, whereas Astilbe has 10, 8 

 or o stamens (twice the number, 

 or of the same number, as the 

 petals), and a 2-3-lobed pistil 

 (which finally separates into 

 more or less distinct follicles). 

 Astilbe and Arun- 

 cus are so much 

 alike that they are 

 often confounded 

 by horticulturists. 



The a.stilbes are 

 perennial herbs, 

 mostly rather tall 

 with handsome 

 compound bright 

 green foliage and 

 small white, pink or 

 almost purple flow- 

 ers in 8lend(!r or 

 den.'w; .spike,s forming large terminal feathery panicles. 

 They are hardy plants of great merit. They are 

 easily grown in any well-miule border and like rich good 

 soil and plenty of water during the growing jjeriod. 

 They give conspicuous masses of bloom in summ(-r. 



Propagation is mostly by division; also by seeds 

 Bown early in spring in the greenhouse; they germinate 

 after two or three weeks; the young seedlings mu.st be 

 pricked ofl several times and later planted out in 



frames or in the open ground. The young plants will 

 flower the second year. 



Forcing of astilbe. — Few herbaceous plants force 

 with greater ease than Astilbe japonicn, and its var com- 

 pacta: but three weeks longer time should be given the 

 latter fully to develop its feathery s])ikes. Astilbes are 

 so easily and cheaply imported that for the commercial 

 florist it is cheaper to buy than to divide and grow his 

 own plants. When first received, the clinnps of roots 

 should be stored, with a lit tie earth or moss between the 

 roots and a little soil over the crown, until the florist is 

 ready to pot them. No amount of freezing does them 

 the slightest harm; but the boxes or flats in which they 

 are stored are best covered with a little straw or litter, 

 and should have the full benefit of rain or snow to keep 

 the roots from drying. From potting or bringing into 

 the greenhouse, it requires from ten to fourteen weeks to 

 bring them into flower, according to the earliness of the 

 season at which they are wanted in flower. The quality 

 of soil is of no consequence, provided it is light and easily 

 handled. They need water in great abundance. Tem- 

 perature is also of little consequence. Anything above 

 50° at night will do; but it is best not to flower them in 

 a higher temperature than 60°, or they will quickly wilt 

 when cut or used for decorations. From the time the 

 sprays begin to show white color until they are fully 

 developed, every astilbe should stand in a saucer in 

 which there should be constantly an inch of liquid 

 manure. When sold for window plants or for decor- 

 ation, astilbes are often disappointing. It is merely 

 want of water. Before the full development of the shoots 

 and leaves, they are easily hurt by tobacco smoke, and 

 should be covered with paper or well wetted when 

 fumigation is necessary. Aphis, spider or thrips never 

 trouble astilbe. As a border plant, astilbe is one of the 

 best of our hardy herbaceous plants; but the feath- 

 ery plume obtained in the greenhouse is much shorter, 

 more compact, and lacks the pure whiteness of the out- 

 door-grown specimens. (Wm. Scott.) 



Arendsii, 11. 

 aruncoiiJes, 6. 

 aBtilboides. 6. 

 biternata, 2. 

 carminea, 11. 

 chinensis, 8, 10. 

 compapta, 4. 

 Davidii, 10. 



INDEX. 



decandra, 2. 

 floribunda, 6. 

 grandiflora, 4. 

 grandis, .3. 

 hi/brula, 9. 

 japoniea, 4. 

 Lemoinei, 5. 

 muhiflora, 4. 



purpurea, 4. 

 rivularis, 1. 

 rosea, 9. 

 rubella. 11. 

 rubra, 12. 

 rutilans, 11. 

 Thunbergii, 7 

 variegata, 4. 



428. Astilbe japoniea. 



A. Color of petals while or yellowish white 

 (or changing to pinkish in A. Thun- 

 bergii), rarely petals wanting. 



B. Petals wanting; stamens 5. 



1. rivularis, Ham. Rhizome creeping: 



st. 3-5 ft.: Ivs. 2-ternate, the Ifts. ovate, 

 dentate 1-3 in. long; the petioles tawny- 

 hairy hke the sts. at the base: fls. yellowish 

 white, in large .spikes, which are dis- 

 posed in panicles; stamens 5, pure white. 

 Nepal, W. China. Gn. 48, p. 3.55.— At- 

 tractive, border species, blooming late. 

 Probably needs protection. 



BB. Petals present at least in the staminale 



fls.; stamens 10. 



C. Stamens exceeding the petals: tall, 



3-6 ft. high. 



2. biternata, Brit. (A. decdndra, Don. Tiarella 

 biternata, Vent,). Somewhat pubescent, 3-6 ft.: Ivs. 

 2-3-ternate, the Ifts. ovate and cordate or abrupt at 

 base, sharp-serrate, 2-5 in. long: fls. yellowish white, 

 in a large (10-12 in. long) racemose panicle; petals 

 linear, spatulate in the staminate fls., small or wanting 

 in the perfect ones. .June. Woods, Va. and S. BB. 

 2: 170. — Often confounded with Aruncus Sylvester, which 

 has numerous stamens not exceeding the broad petals. 



