Z STUDIES IN THE GENUS ASTER 
their solution the foundation-work was admirably laid by Nees in 
1832,* and for American species by Torrey and Gray + in 1841— 
together with comparisons made by Dr. Gray with European her- | 
baria, results of which appeared in his Synoptical Flora, in 1884. : 
There still remained the need of continuous field studies and of 
extensive collections of closely connected forms, and also of wide — 
comparison of material already existing in American herbaria. — 
The need of a further revision of the species of Aster was evident — 
from the number of unassignable forms already existing in collec- 
tions, from the number discoverable in the field, and from the ex- : 
perience of botanists, especially of that master of the Compositae | 
Dr. Asa Gray, whose own judgment regarding the asters, made to-_ 
ward the close of his labors, was that “little satisfaction has been — 
obtained as the result of prolonged and repeated studies.” Never-_ 
theless, he has laid a broad foundation, and requires at the outse 4 
the profound acknowledgment of any subsequent investigators. — 
Some may say it is a rash undertaking to attempt subsequent 
limitation of species in Aster. It seems, however, that the great : 
ture herself has not yet said her last word in the genus Aster, and 
he will do well who can keep up with her progress. 
It is, therefore, my present purpose to put on record such con 
tributions toward the knowledge of the asters as my studies in th 
field and elsewhere during the last fifteen years have enabled me 
to make. I plan to make impartial mention of all forms seen, not 
omitting those imperfectly known. Their omission might be 
gain in symmetry and might prevent some inevitable errors in in 
terpretation of their relationships ; but by mentioning even the ob- 
scurer forms their study in the future may be stimulated, and it is 
the advancement of knowledge which is the true aim of scienti 
study, rather than the symmetry of the immediate achievemen 
Many other forms as yet unknown will no doubt be discovered 
especially when the further north and the mountains of the south 
*C. G. Nees ab Esenbeck, ‘Genera et Species Asterearum,’’ 
t Torrey and Gray’s Flora of North America, Vol, Il, part 1. 1841 
