White and Greenish 



much branched stem rarely reaches three feet in height, usually 

 it is not over a foot tall, and its very numerous flower-heads, 

 white or pink tinged, barely half an inch across, appear in such 

 profusion from September even to December as to transform it 

 mto a feathery mass of bloom. 



Growing like branching wands of golden rod, the Dense- 

 flowered, White-wreathed, or Starry Aster {/I. multifiorus) bears 

 its minute flower-heads crowded close along the branches, where 

 many small, stiff leaves, like miniature pine needles, follow them. 

 Each flower measures only about a quarter of an inch across. 

 From Maine to Georgia and Texas westward to Arizona and 

 British Columbia the common bushy plant lifts its rather erect, 

 curving, feathery branches perhaps only a foot, sometimes above 

 a man's head, from August till November, in such dry, open, 

 sterile ground as the white heath aster also chooses. 



No one not a latter-day, structural botanist could see why the 

 Tall, Flat-top White Aster {Doelltngeria umbella) is now an 

 outcast from the aster tribe into a separate genus. This common 

 species of moist soil and swamps has its numerous small heads 

 (containing ten to fifteen rays each) arranged in large, terminal, 

 compound clusters (corymbs). The stem, which rises from two 

 to eight feet, has its long-tapering, alternate leaves hairy on the 

 veins beneath and rough margined. 



Late in the fall you may hear the rich tone of a Bombilius, 

 one of the commonest flies seen about flowers, as he darts 

 rapidly among the white asters. Unless you have been initiated, 

 you may mistake this fly for a bee. H* smgs a very similar song 

 and wears a similar dress ; but he is not a very good imitation, 

 after all, and a little familiarity with him will give you courage to 

 catch him in your hand if you are quick enough, for he is incap- 

 able of stinging or biting : he can merely make a noise out of all 

 proportion to his size. He is simply living from hour to hour, 

 and lays up no store for the winter, enjoying more or less security 

 from his resemblance to the industrious and dangerous insect 

 which he imitates. 



Daisy Fleabane; Sweet Scabious 



{Erigeron annus) Thistle family 



Flcwer-heads — ^Numerous, daisy-like, about J^ in. across ; from 40 

 to 70 long, fine, white rays (or purple- or pink-tinged), ar- 

 ranged around yellow disk florets in a rough, hemispheric 

 cup whose bracts overlap. Stem: Erect, i to 4 ft. high, 

 branching above, with spreading, rough hairs. Leaves: Thin, 

 lower ones ovate, coarsely toothed, petioled ; upper ones ses- 

 sile, becoming smaller, lance-shaped. 



364 



