404 DESCRIPTION OF ASTERS; MACROPHYLLI 
cence, and an involucre resembling Aster macrophyllus, as long as the disk ; the scales 
oblong-lanceolate, acute, etc. 
The species remained without additional knowledge till the 
acquisition of Prof. Gibbes’ herbarium by the N. Y. Bot. Garden 
brought to light the original and much larger specimen, followed 
i my description in Small’s Southeastern Flora, p. 1213 (1902), 
13. Aster mirabilis T. and G. Stem 3-7 dm. tall, sparingly branched above, 
nasil pubescent, the branches and especially the .branchlets closely and finely 
pubescent: leaves various, the basal and lower cauline little known, the upper cauline 
Bae remote ; blades ovate to oblong ovate, 2.5-9 cm. long, or those on the branchlets 
seri mostly acute, firm, serrate with ek subcrenate teeth, mainly sessile, 
-pubescent, pera ressed scattered hairs, those of the upper surface fewer, 
sty oten e escent: heads solitary or few in terminal clusters: involucres 8-10 
mm, high; qim linear-oblong to linear, pubescent without and ciliate, the 
rani tesi broadly-obtuse tips pubescent on both sides: ray-flowers about 
; ligules violet, 1.5-3 cm. long: achenes about 3.5 mm. long, glabrous or nearly so, 
dine than the tawny pappus whose inner bristles are thickened at the apex. 
esembles A. multiformis Burgess, but the bracts squarrose and leaves hispidulous 
dau ; cordation seems barge but will probably yet be found on some basal leaves. 
— Near Columbia, S. C. Fall.’ 
— The original specimen or specimens of A. mirabilis were 
found by Prof. Lewis R. Gibbes, of Charleston, S. C., at Colum- 
bia, S. C., Se. 20, 1835. He sent a small fragment to Torrey 
and Gray which is in the Torrey herbarium in N. Y. Later, Prof. 
Gibbes divided his own specimen with Gray, Nov. 23, '83, fide 
Gray's notes; thus furnishing the fragment in the Gray her- 
barium. The remaining part was found in Prof. Gibbes' own her- 
m, 18 
Botanical Garden. This proved to be much the better represen- 
tative, showing a radical leaf of strong Biotian aspect though with- 
out cordation, the leaf-curve at the base having just stopped short 
of an actual sinus. Probably when further specimens are found, 
slight cordation will sometimes show. The chief reason for hesi- 
tancy in placing this species within the limits of the Biotian group 
(instead of exactly halfway between A. macrophyllus and A. spec- 
tabilis as Gray placed it in 1843, or on the spectabilis side of the 
line as he placed it in 1884) is the apparent absence of glands. 
was however not quite sure that glandular viscidity was 
altogether absent from his plant when examining it in 1843 ; and 
perhaps when fresh specimens are found, glandular viscidity will 
Show itself. If the species actually has none, it will be excep- 
tional among the Macrophylli, although A. excelsior and A. multi- 
formis and A. nobilis lead up to it in this particular, their glands 
ei s sometimes so few as to pere much searching. 
LP } 
