BOLTONIA 



DAISY OBDEB 



CALLISTBPHUS 499 



seedlings for the open air in May. To 

 keep up a succession of bloom seeds may 

 also be sown in the open border during 

 April, afterwards thinning the seedlings 

 out 12 18 in. apart. 



BOLTONIA.^A gonusof erect-grow- 

 ing Aster-like perennials with alternate, 

 quite! entire or coarsely toothed loa\os, 

 and medium-sized flower-heads in loose 

 in-ogular panicles, or solitary at the tips 

 of the shoots. Ray florets white or bluish. 

 Involucre hemispherical. Receptacle con- 

 \ ox or conical, 



Culture and Propagation. — Boltonias 

 may be grown exactly in the same way as 

 the Starwort or Michaelmas Daisy Asters. 

 Thoy flomish in ordinary good and well- 

 drained garden soil, and may be used in 

 bold masses in the herbaceous border, the 

 rockery, or shrubbery. They are readily 

 increased by dividing the roots about 

 S(!ptomber, or in spring, in mild showery 

 weather. Seeds may also be sown as 

 soon as ripe either in the open border or 

 in cold frames, and cuttings of the young 

 shoots, talten about April, and inserted in 

 sandy soil in a cold frame shaded from the 

 sun for a time, will soon root and make 

 good plants. See Aster below, p. 500. 



B. asteroides. — ^A native of the moun- 

 tains of Carolina, 3^ ft. high, with linear 

 lance-shapod leaves, and rosy- white flowers 

 witll a yellow centre, produced in loose 

 coiymbs from June to August. 



Ciiltiirv d'-c. as above. 



B. g^lastifolia. — A smoothish glaucous- 

 looking N. American perennial 6-8 ft. 

 high, with lancc-almped leaves, the lower 

 ones of which are toothed. Flowers 

 blush-white with a yellow disc, produced 

 in corymbose panicles in Axigust and 

 September. 



Cidture d'-c. as above. 



B. latisquama. — A free-flowering N. 

 American perennial 3-4 ft. high, with 

 bright green lance-shaped leaves, and 

 numerous rosy or bright lilac flower-heads 

 borne in large clusters from July to 

 September. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



CALLISTEPHUS (China Aster). 

 The only species in this genus is : — 



C. hortensis (C chinensis ; Aster 

 s-iiwnsis). — A beautiful annual 1-2 ft. 

 high, native of China. Leaves ovate, 

 coarsely toothed, lower ones stalked ; 

 xipper sessile, wedge-shaped at the base. 



Flowers fromAugust to November, 2-4 in. 

 or more across, beautiful mauve-purple 

 with a bright yellow centre, \'ery much 

 resembling those of Erigcron speciosua 

 (p. 506), but of a somewhat deeper shade 

 of colour, broader ray-florets, and much 

 larger flowers. 



This is the description of the original 

 species from which the numerous varieties 

 of China Aster in cultivation have been 

 produced. So much attention has been 

 devoted to developing the progeny that 

 the parent has been overlooked for very 

 many years, and had dropped out of 

 cultivation. Within the last year or two, 

 however, it has been re-introduced, and it 

 would be difficult to find a more graceful 

 or useful plant for the flower border. It 

 should be planted in bold masses to 

 obtain striking effects. A light and warm 

 rich soil produces the best results, and in 

 the event of very dry weather copious 

 supplies of water should be given either 

 late in the afternoon or evening, or eai-ly 

 in the morning, say between 6 and 8 

 o'clock. The plants will grow in shady 

 places, but they are much finer in open 

 sunny situations. 



The florist's China Aster has been 

 divided into about 30 distinct groups, 

 such as the Pseony and Chrysanthemum- 

 flowered ; the Comet or Poodle, and 

 Ostrich-flowered; the Victoria, the Em- 

 peror, the Anemone or QuiUed ; the Co- 

 cardeau or Crown ; the Rose and the 

 Porcupine, the Globe, the Pompon, and 

 such like names — all more or less un- 

 meaning to the amatem:, but distinct 

 enough to the specialist. The flowers of 

 all these kinds are of com'se ' double,' and 

 bear no resemblance whatever to the 

 original species described above, except 

 in so far that all the perfect tubular florets 

 of the centre have been changed by culti- 

 vation into strap-shaped ones like those of 

 the outer row. 



China Asters are very fine in groups 

 or masses in borders or in beds by them- 

 selves. They vary a good deal in height, 

 and it is advisable when grouping to keep 

 each section in a group by itself, to avoid 

 unevenness. The colours vary firom piu'e 

 white to rose, pink, light and dark blue, 

 mauve, scarlet, with intermediate shades, 

 except yellow. 



Culture and Propagation. — A deep 

 rich loamy soil and open situations are 

 best for China Asters. In hot dry 

 summers the leaves are apt to become 



ee2 



