SEPTEMBER 



29 



with several long main branches, or with short branches. 

 The leaves are various, and, in one species, quite fra- 

 grant, shiny, and well formed. 



Asters, or star flowers, are almost as various as the 

 goldenrod and, althougli their structure is much more 

 obvious still their chief value in this grade is aesthetic 

 and literary. 



SuxFLOWER : A characteristic held in common by all 

 of the other composites, and likewise by many other 



ANTHERS... r;|,\ 



CALYX - 1 

 DISK FLOWEH--- 



Blue Aster (A- cordifolius). 



.n7#J% 



Aster 



flowers not of this order, is that of " sleeping," or the 

 change in position of the parts of the plants with refer- 

 ence to the light. This peculiarity is conspicuous in the 

 smiflower probably because of its large size, and has 

 caused this flower to be held in reverence by people 

 of past ages. The Peruvians, who, at the time of the 

 Spanish Conquest were sun Avorshippers, decorated the 

 maidens of the temple with crowns of golden sunflowers, 

 branches of which were carried in their hands. Sun- 

 flowers were and are still used in the decoration of 

 Christian churches. In the Cathedral at Eheims, they 



