‘DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWERS. 135° 
_ A. tuberésa., — Butterfly-weed. — Root large, fleshy, 
branching, somewhat fusiform, but it is only by compar- 
ison with other species that it can be called tuberous; 
stems numerous, growing in bunches from the root, hairy 
and dusky-red; flowers numerous, erect, and of a bright 
orange color; blooms in August. This fine ornamental 
plant for the garden grows two feet high. A. pur- 
purascens, A. variegata, and others, are also ornamental ; 
all the species would be interesting in large collections. 
ASTER. 
Nearly one hundred species of Asters, mostly peren- 
nials, are described by botanists as indigenous to North 
America. Many of them are without much beauty, and 
may be considered as weeds. But some of the species 
are quite beautiful, and would add much to the interest 
of the border or shrubbery, if introduced into the gar- 
den. The flowers are star shaped (hence the botanical 
name) and it is often popularly called the Star-flower. 
The color of the flowers varies, in the different species, 
from white to light-blue, dark blue to purple; some of 
them are quite small as in A. multiforus, and A. diffusus, 
which, however, are handsome from the great profusion 
of their flowers.. A. Nove-Anglie,has large showy purple 
flowers. -A. puniceus, has fine sky-blue flowers. A col- 
lection of the different species may be successfully made 
when in flower, if ‘the flower stems are cut off and the 
roots planted in good soil. They will flower well in the 
following autumn and will richly repay all the trouble, 
provided there is plenty of room in the garden. I have 
found that great improvement can be made in them by 
cultivation. The China Aster does not belong to this 
‘genus, but to Calléstephus; under which name it will be 
found. . 
