PREFATORY NOTE 
This first volume of Aster Studies is by limitations of size con- 
fined to the general historical treatment proposed — leaving the 
description of species to a volume soon to follow. The present 
volume traces the history of Aster to 1600, or through the con- 
tinuance of the ancient monotype conception of Aster; that is, 
until Clusius’ polytype conception came into full dominance as 
embodied in the series of Aster species set forth by him in 1601. 
It has been my aim to present the history of Aster from the 
Greeks to Clusius in such a way as to show its relations to other 
botanical thought and writing, and to disentangle the constantly 
recurring confusions with other blended genera. This involves 
notice of all important plant-writers before Clusius, constituting 
this volume a sketch of the History of Pre-Clusian Botany. 
Such a history will, I trust, be the more acceptable because it 
seems to be much needed in English, our language being as yet 
without any extended work covering this field. Future interest in 
this subject among English-speaking lovers of learning will some 
time no doubt become so great as to call forth a full and exhaus- 
tive history of the earlier botany. The present work is but a step 
toward such a desired consummation ; but its plan has its advan- 
tages in the singleness of view gained by tracing one single aspect 
of the subject through the past. 
In carrying out this plan, I have sought above all to turn on the 
light. I have therefore dwelt longer on many unfamiliar and 
almost inaccessible mediaeval writings than upon the better-known 
though earlier classics. With the rarer works I have added such 
simple bibliographic details as may be helpful to the inquirer ; but 
without intending the fullness required by the bibliographic spe- 
cialist. Where possible in these cases, I have mentioned the 
library where a copy may be seen in America; making much use 
of familiar abbreviations such as J/S.,= manuscript; ex. dzb/. 
Colu., = from the library of Columbia University ; ex. Zér. Bu., = 
from the library of the writer: etc., etc. Such citations may seem 
trivial to some, but not to those who have experienced with the 
writer the difficulty of getting access to a desired mediaeval work 
at the time wanted. ES. 5 
Norma. CoLiecre, New York Ciry, 
Sept. 6, 
Vv 
