SOMMERS NOVA SCOTIA COMPOSIT-E, ASTERS. 241 



nevertheless, any Botanist who undertakes the study of this and 

 some other genera of the great natural order Compositae, will, I 

 am sure, sympathize with the effort and condone its errors. 



Aster radula, Ait. 



Stem, 1° to 2 3 . Angular striate; smooth, purple, shining, 

 branching at the top into a loose corymb ; simple below ; branches 

 purple, pubescent about three flowered, heads pedunculate large, 

 peduncle naked, involucrum imbricated, five rowed; scales all 

 squarrose, with scarious margins, green centres and tips; obtuse 

 not as long as the disk ; rays deep violet, spreading thrice longer 

 than the disk, from ten to fifteen in number ; leaves lanceolate, 

 .acuminate, sessile, scarcely clasping; alternate remote subserrate 

 dentate ; margin scabrous, upper surface dull, dark green, rugous 

 and scabrous; under surface paler; venation reticulated, the 

 veins well marked ; pappus simple clubshaped. A fine showy 

 Aster, flowering in July and August, in moist places ; varies in its 

 foliage, but the flowers are constant ; involucrum bell-shaped ; 

 scales regular, close pressed with spreading tips. A distinct specific 

 form, but superficially resembles the next. 



A. SPECTABILIS; Ait. 



Resembling the above in height, foliage and inflorescence. The 

 scales ot the involucrum are however different, being spatulate and 

 obtuse, their margins glandular hairy, giving them the appearance 

 of being finely dissected or fringed. The leaves are narrower, 

 lighter colored, and although netveined, are not rugous. Both 

 species may be easily separated from other forms. They vary less 

 than our other species. 



A. Puniceus L. Var viminttjs. Willd. 



Stem glabrous, paniculate furrowed, or striate 2° to 3° ; green or 

 reddish on one side ; stem leaves narrow ; lanceolate taper pointed, 

 remotely serrate dentate ; reticulate veined ; somewhat auriculate 

 amplexicaul ; smooth above and below ; edges scabrous ; upper 



