16 VARIATION IN ASTER 
cropping by cattle or to the use of the scythe or bush-knife. The 
newly stimulated branches differ from the normal in their angle 
and direction ; their leaves are much larger and more numerous ; 
but the leaf-form developed remains true to the branch-type for 
that particular species, and is a shape different from the cauline 
type, often thoroughly disguising the plant. 
A’. Bifurcation, either in leaf or stem, arising not apparently as 
result of accident but as a sport ; occasional in species of widely 
remote affinity, as in A. macrophyllus, A. multiformis, A. nobilis, A. 
tardiflorus, A. cordifolius, A. divaricatus. 
A*. Opposite-leaf state, due to suppression of internodes, oc- 
casional in many or all species, especially frequent upon abnormal 
branches. 
A’. Verticil form, 3 nodes brought together; frequent in the 
inflorescence of Biotian species, and sometimes found in the leaves. 
INFLORESCENCE STAGES 
N*. Normally the next stage of development of an aster after 
the cauline is that of aestivation or budding, when each species 
presents a very different aspect from that before or after, and one 
which often is wholly unlike what might have been expected of 
the plant, notably in forms of A. cordifolius and A. divaricatus. 
N°’. The flowering stage with pectinate heads which follows, 
begins with the rays normally erect, terete, or soon tubular by invo- 
lution, appearing as if a pectinate fringe to the flower-head, often of 
a different color from that of their maturity. During its progress 
the appearance of the plant is apt to change greatly according as 
the following progressions become developed or not: 
(a) Pedicels lengthen, changing sessile buds into long-pedi- 
celled flower-heads, and changing dense bunches into loose clus- 
ters; common in most species and occasional in all. 
(4) Cymose development sets in to such extent that the outer 
branches become greatly prolonged and far overtop the inflores- 
cence proper; in some this is occasional, in others it tends to 
become fixed and normal as in A. tenebrosus, A. nobilis, 
(c) Rays flatten across, changing involutely-tubular rays into 
boat-shaped pointed rays and finally flat with rounded ends. Com- 
mon to most species. 
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