COMPOSITAE. 959 



bracts oblong, or the inner lanceolate, canescent, imbricated in 3 or 4 series, their 

 tips green, acute, spreading; rays 15-25, violet-blue, 12-16 mm. long; pappus 

 tawny; achenes glabrous. In dry open soil, 111. to Minn, and Man., south toTenn., 

 Kans. and Tex. Aug. -Sept. 



45. Aster concolor L. EASTERN SILVERY ASTER. LILAC-FLOWERED ASTER. 

 (I. F. f. 3777.) Stem slender, glabrous, or pubescent above, 3-7 dm. high, leafy, 

 single, or with few erect branches. Leaves oblong or linear-oblong, finely and 

 densely canescent on both sides, or the lower glabrate, sessile, obtuse or mucronate, 

 4-5 cm. long; heads in an elongated narrow raceme resembling that of Lacin- 

 aria ; involucre broadly turbinate, its bracts linear or linear-oblong, appressed, 

 canescent, imbricated in 4 or 5 series, their tips green, acute, the outer shorter; 

 rays 10-15, lilac, 6-8 mm. long; pappus tawny; achenes villous. In dry, sandy 

 soil, eastern Mass, and R. I. to Fla. and La., near the coast. Aug. -Oct. 



46. Aster Fendleri A. Gray. FENDLER'S ASTER. (I. F. f. 3778.) Stems 

 several or solitary from thick woody roots, rigid, hirsute, 1.5-3 dm. high. Leaves 

 linear, rigid, i-nerved, acute or acuminate, 16-30 mm. long, 2-3 mm. wide, glabrous 

 on both sides, but the margins bristly-ciliate; heads usually few and racemose, 

 1-2.5 cm - broad; involucre turbinate, its bracts glandular, linear-oblong, imbricated 

 in about 4 series, the inner acute, the outer shorter and obtuse; rays 10-15. y ilet, 

 6-10 mm. long. In dry soil on the plains, western Kans. to Colo, and N. Mex. 

 Aug.-Sept. 



47. Aster grandiflorus L. LARGE-FLOWERED ASTER. (I. F. f. 3779.) 

 Stem rather stiff, divaricately much branched, hispid with short hairs, 3-7 dm. 

 high. Leaves oblong, linear, or somewhat spatulate, rigid, sessile by a broad, 

 sometimes slightly clasping base, reflexed, entire, obtusish, hispid, the larger 5 cm. 

 long and 8 mm. wide, t^ose of the branches very numerous, 410 mm. long; heads 

 about 5 cm. broad, terminating the branches; involucre hemispheric, its bracts very 

 squarrose and foliaceous, imbricated in 5-7 series, linear, or linear-oblong, glan- 

 dular, the outer obtusish, the inner acute; rays very numerous, deep violet, nearly 

 25 mm. long, 3 mm. wide; pappus brownish; achenes ribbed, canescent. In dry 

 soil, Va., east of the mountains, to Fla. Sept. 



48. Aster spectabilis Ait. Low SHOWY ASTER. SEASIDE PURPLE ASTER. 

 (I. F. f. 3780.) Stem stiff, simple, or corymbosely branched above, puberulent, or 

 rough below, more or less glandular above, 3-6 dm. high. Leaves firm, thickish, 

 the basal and lower ones oval, acute or acutish, 7-12 cm. long, 2-4 cm. wide, 

 sparingly dentate with low teeth, narrowed at the base into slender petioles; upper 

 leaves sessile, entire or very nearly so, acute, linear-oblong; heads several or 

 numerous, about 35 mm. broad, corymbose, very showy; involucre nearly hemi- 

 spheric, its bracts linear-oblong or slightly spatulate, glandular, imbricated in 

 about 5 series, the green obtusish tips spreading; rays 15-30, bright violet, 12-20 

 mm. long; pappus whitish; achenes slightly pubescent. In dry sandy soil, Mass, 

 to Del., mostly near the coast. Aug. -Oct. 



49. Aster surculosus Michx. CREEPING ASTER. (I. F. f. 3781.) Stem slen- 

 der, from elongated-filiform rootstocks, minutely scabrous-pubescent, 25-45 cm. high, 

 corymbosely branched above. Leaves firm, lanceolate or linear, the lower petioled, 

 5-7 cm. long, 8-16 mm. wide, rough-margined, slightly scabrous above, sparingly 

 dentate, the upper narrower, sessile, entire; heads few, or sometimes solitary, about 

 3 cm. broad ; involucre turbinate-hemispheric, its bracts coriaceous, imbricated in 

 about 5 series, ciliate, but scarcely glandular, their green tips spreading; rays 15- 

 30, violet; pappus whitish; achenes nearly glabrous. In sandy or gravelly soil, 

 N. Car. and Ga. Reported from N. J. Sept.-Oct. 



50. Aster gracilis Nutt. SLENDER OR TUBE ASTER. (I. F. f. 3782.) Stem 

 slender, finely puberulent and scabrous, corymbosely branched above, 3-4 dm. high. 

 Leaves minutely scabrous, the basal and lower ones oval, acute or obtusish, 5-7 cm. 

 long, 8-16 mm. wide, dentate, narrowed into slender petioles; upper leaves linear, 

 linear-oblong, or slightly oblanceolate, acute, entire, sessile or a little clasping; 

 heads usually numerous, 1 2-20 mm. broad; involucre narrowly turbinate, its bracts 

 coriaceous, glabrous or very nearly so, imbricated in about 5 series, their tips green 

 and spreading, obtusish; rays 9-15, violet, 6-9 mm. long; pappus nearly white; 

 achenes minutely pubescent. In dry sandy soil, N. J. to Ky., Tenn. and N. Car. 

 Rootstock tuberous thickened. July-Sept. 



