CONTRIBUTIONS TO WESTERN BOTANY. 695 



tufts near alkaline hot springs; stems not in the least 

 woody, rather fiexuous and rush-like, erect or ascending, 

 9'-i|° high, glabrous below, glandular above and very 

 heavily scented: leaves grass -like, 2-7' long, i" wide, 

 fleshy, sessile, a little clasping, the uppermost leaves 

 bract -like; scales in about 3 irregular series, green, ap- 

 pressed, acute, linear; rays i" wide, 6" long, purple, very 

 conspicuous; disk -flowers light yellow; akenes linear, 

 ribbed, villous; pappus very frail and rather scanty; 

 flowers racemose, few, long-peduncled, 6" wide and disk 

 3" high. 



This plant is never found except in water flowing from 

 alkaline hot springs which are heavily charged with lime, 

 bicarbonate of soda and chloride of sodium. The soil in 

 which it grows is always very poor and thin, covering lime 

 *tufa. It seems to be the only aster which will grow in 

 such places. It is never found in high elevations nor 

 does it occur outside of the plateau region of Utah, 



Aster tortifolius var. funereus. No. 358, Coville, 

 Death Valley Rep. Furnace Cr. Can. Funeral Mts., 

 Cal., Jan. 30, 1891, and No. 863, near Keeler, Cal., May 

 16. An intergrading form is his No. 184 from Brown's 

 Peak, Cal., Jan. 16. This variety has closely imbricated 

 scales, in many series, gradually reduced below, not at- 

 tenuate, closely appressed. 



Aster xylorhiza T. & G. This differs in no real re- 

 spect from A. Wrightii and A. venustus except that it is 

 lower and has longer leaves. A. venustus Jones answers 

 to A . Parryi of the same section. 



Erigeron cinereus var. aridus. 



No. 5149V. May 3, 1894, Washington, Utah, 3500° 

 alt., on sandstone rocks. 



This plant seems to' be near E. divergens in general 

 appearance, but is shrubby at the base; heads 8" wide, 



