290 THE COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



rows. Florets of the ray ligulate, purple or white, those of the disk tubular 

 and yeUow. Branches of the style somewhat flattened, and pointed. 

 Anthers without tails. Achenes flattened, with a pappus of many hairs. 



A Tery numerous North American genus, with a few species spread over 

 northern Asia, Europe, and some other parts of the world. Several of the 

 North American ones are known among the autumnal plants in our flower- 

 gardens, under the name of Michaelmas Daisies. Our China Asters belong 

 to a nearly allied genus (perhaps a mere section) from eastern Asia. 



1. Sea Aster. Aster Tripolium, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 87.) 



A glabrous perennial, seldom above a foot high, erect, or decumbent at 

 the base, and slightly branched ; the leaves Hnear, entire, and somewhat 

 succulent. Flower-heads in a rather compact corymb, the involucral bracts 

 few and oblong. Florets of the ray purplish, not numerous, and occasion- 

 ally wanting ; those of the disk longer than the involucre ; the pappus also 

 longer than the involucre. 



In salt-marshes, common in Europe and Russian Asia, except the ex- 

 treme north. Extends along the British coasts to the north of Scotland. 

 Fl. late in summer^ or autumn. 



IV. ERXGERON. ERIGERON. 



Diflers from Aster in the involucral bracts very narrow and numerous, 

 and in the outer florets very numerous, either filiform and not projecting 

 beyond the involucre and pappus, or very narrow-ligulate, forming a short, 

 coloured ray. The regular, tubular, yellowish florets in the centre often 

 reduced to very few. 



Its geographical range is even more extended than that of Aster, for 

 several species are natives of the tropics ; some are found in the extreme 

 Arctic regions, or on the summits of the Alps, whilst others spread as weeds 

 nearly all over the globe. 



Outer florets all filiform, not projecting beyond tte involucre. Heads 



very numerous, and small 3. Canadiam. JS. 



Outer florets (some or all) forming a shortly projecting coloured ray. 

 Annual or biennial. Flower-beads several, on rather long peduncles. 



Bay erect, very little longer than the disk 1. Common JS. 



Perennial. Flower-heads solitary or very few. Eay spreading, con- 

 siderably longer than the disk 2. Alpine E. 



Several large-flowered American species are occasionally cultivated in 

 our flower-gardens. 



1. Common Erig^eron. Erigeron acris, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1158. Fleabane.) 



An erect annual or biennial, 6 inches to a foot high, slightly branched, 

 and rather rough with short hairs. Leaves linear or lanceolate and entire, 

 the radical ones stalked, but usually withered away at the time of flowering. 

 Flower-heads rather small, solitary on the peduncles or upper branches, 

 forming a short, loose panicle. Florets very numerous, mostly fihform and 

 short, the outer rows of a pale purple, projecting slightly beyond the in- 

 volucre and pappus, the tubular ones of the centre very few, of a pale 

 yeUow. 



In pastures, on banks, roadsides, and waste places, common in the greater 



