Genus 31.] 



THISTLE FAMILY. 



357 



2. Aster tenebrosus Burgess. 

 Long-leaved Wood Aster. (Fig. 3736.) 



Sterns solitary or scattered, glabrate, striate, 

 about 3 high. Leaves very thin and smooth, 

 slender-petioled, broadly oblong, coarsely 

 toothed with remote acuminate teeth, abruptly 

 long-acuminate at the apex, the basal sinus 

 broad, rounded, shallow, except in the lowest 

 ones; leaves of the inflorescence lanceolate, 

 subentire, sessile, sometimes 4' long; inflores- 

 cence broadly corymbose, heads about \" high, 

 often i% / broad; rays usually 9-12; disk pale 

 yellow, becoming purplish brown, the florets 

 funnelform with a long slender tube; outer 

 bracts chiefly elongated-triangular, acute, green, 

 the others linear, obtusish, the green tip lance- 

 linear; achenes generally glabrous. 



In moist dark woodlands, New York to Virginia. 

 Peculiar in its large dark leaves with coarser teeth 

 than in the next species. Aug. -Sept. 



3. Aster divaricatus L,, White 

 Wood Aster. (Fig. 3737.) 



Aster divaricatus L. Sp. PI. 873. 1753. 

 Aster corymbosus Ait. Hort. Kew. 3: 207. 1789. 



Stems tufted, assurgent, flexuous, brittle, 

 terete, i^-2 high, glabrate at maturity. 

 Leaves thin, smoothish, slender petioled, 

 ovate-lanceolate, closely dentate with sharp 

 teeth, or the small basal ones coarsely serrate, 

 acute to acuminate, the basal sinus moder- 

 ate; leaves of the inflorescence small, short, 

 ovate and acute to orbicular, subentire; 

 corymb broad, flattish, repeatedly forked, 

 the slender branches long, divergent; heads 

 o//_ I2 // broad; rays chiefly 6-9, linear, 

 white; disk turning brown; bracts of the in- 

 volucre broad, ciliate, the rounded tip with 

 an inconspicuous green spot. 



In open woodlands and thickets, in rather dry 

 soil, Canada to Manitoba.Georgia and Tennessee. 

 Variable; rays rarely rose-purple. Sept. -Oct. 



Aster divaricatus cymulosus Burgess. 



Smaller, bearing a single dense corymb about 4' broad, or several smaller ones; the branches 

 short, suberect; acumination of the leaves, sinus, and teeth conspicuous; upper leaves much re- 

 duced; rays short, broad, chiefly 3"-4" long, sometimes laciniate. In grassy openings in woods, 

 often in dense patches, New England and New York to Virginia. 



Aster divaricatus curtifolius Burgess. 



Stem erect, reddish, smooth, sometimes glaucous; leaves small, dull green, firm, ovate and orbicu- 

 lar to reniform, the sinus broad, rounded, the apex obtuse or apiculate; inflorescence loose, flattish; 

 disks turning purple; rays about 5" long; green tips of the involucral bracts conspicuous. In 

 moist woods, New York to Virginia. 



Aster divaricatus deltoideus Burgess. 



Delicate, 1% high or less; lower leaves triangular, cordate with a broad sinus or subtruncate, 

 the apex incurved-acuminate; the teeth large, sharp; petioles often all filiform; veins directed for- 

 ward; heads nearly as in the preceding variety. In moist shaded places, New England to New 

 York, Virginia and Tennessee. 



Aster divaricatus persaliens Burgess. 



Stems virgate, 2% high, or less; leaves extremely thin, firm, chiefly lanceolate-acuminate, long 

 and narrow, the teeth very slender, salient or recurved, the lowest ovate with a small narrow sinus; 

 disk maroon. In deep shade, New England and New York to Virginia and Kentucky. 



Aster divaricatus fontinalis Burgess, 



Plants solitary; basal leaves often numerous, tufted, thin, smoothish, sharply serrate or den- 

 tate, 6' long by \%' broad, or smaller, broadly oval, acute, the base subcordate or rounded; inflor- 

 escence usually ample, the long virgate branches with numerous small oval-oblong leaves; involucre 

 turbinate, its bracts with definite green tips. In springy places and grassy ditches in open sunny 

 situations, New England and New York to Virginia. 



Aster viridis Nees, remarkable for its coarse rough basal leaves, and large oval rhomboid rameal 

 ones, occasional from New York and Pennsylvania to Virginia, may prove to be a hybrid between 

 the preceding and A. macrophyllus L. 



