Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 353 



HEART-LEAVED ASTER (Aster cordifolius) is a 

 common species, readily identified by the shape of 

 its leaves that are, the lower ones especially, heart- 

 shaped and on quite long, slender, ciliate petioles; 

 they are thin but rather rough and are toothed on the 

 edge. The stalk is slender, branchy and grows from 

 1 to 4 feet high. The flowers are numerous but com- 

 paratively small, about % inches across; they have 

 brownish yellow centers and 10 to 20 lilac, or light- 

 er colored rays. It is a very common species in thin 

 woods and thickets, or along their edges, or road- 

 sides. Pound from N. B. to Minn, and southwards, 

 flowering in Sept. and Oct. 



WAVY-LEAVED ASTER (Aster undulatus) is also 

 readily identified because its leaves have long, broad 

 stems that expand into heart-shape as they clasp the 

 stem. The stems are stiff, rough and 1 to 3 feet tall. 

 The light, blue-violet flowers have 9 to 15 rays. This 

 species ranges from N. B., Ont. and Minn southwards. 



PANICLED ASTER (Aster paniculatus) is a very 

 tall, branching, slender-stemmed species, commonly 

 found in moist ground and on the borders of woods or 

 copses. The smooth stalk attains heights of from 2 

 to 8 feet. At the ends of the branches are numerous 

 flower heads about the size of a nickel, loosely pan- 

 icled. The leaves are long lance-shaped, nearly 

 smooth, obscurely, or not at all, toothed and dark 

 green in color. This is one of the palest colored of 

 the "blue asters," the flowers are very light violet 

 and often white. 



SHOWY ASTER (Aster spectabilis), a seaside spe- 

 cies, has probably, the deepest colored flowers; large, 

 about iy 2 in. across, deep purplish violet and but few 

 in number. Simple stem 1 to 2 feet tall and rough, 

 toothless, lance-shaped leaves. 



23 



