1896.] Aster tardiflorus and Its Forms. 279 
that species; the auricled base, scabrous upper surface, and 
hispid midrib, however, are like A. puniceus. The inflores- 
cence is decidedly like A. tardiflorus, var. lancifolius: the 
corymbs are much shorter than the leaves, but in well de- 
veloped A. puniceus the leaves are shorter than the inflores- 
tence. The scales of the involucre, too, are almost identical 
with those of A. ¢ardiflorus, while in A. pumiceus they are 
much longer, more lax and more distinctly uni-seriate. The 
tays are light violet like those of A. tardiflorus, not deep 
Violet as in ordinary A. puniceus. The achenes in the inter- 
mediate form are all immature and show no striking charac- 
ters. In working over the Asters for the Synoptical Flora of 
North America, Dr. Gray referred the Ashland plant to 
puniceus ; but the sheet bears a note in his handwriting, ap- 
parently added sometime later, which suggests that the plant 
may be a hybrid with A. patulus. As this peculiar interme- 
diate form seems to be restricted to a small portion of Middle- 
‘x county, I have ventured to follow this suggestion of Dr. 
Gray in placing the plant as above. 
ray Herbarium, Cambridge, Mass. 
