Order TO.— COMPOSITES. 425 



Iys., growing in fields, Mass. to La. St. rigid, brownish, 2 to 3f high, terete, 

 with numerous small hds. densely racemed and somewhat 1-sided on the erect- 

 spreading, slender branches. Lower st. Its. 4' long, gradually reduced in size 

 upwards. Bays pale purple. Aug. — Oct. 



p. ]?B.iGlLls. Oaulino ivs. serrulate or entiire, short; hds. much scattered on 

 the branches. (A. fragilis "Willd.) 



32 A. miser Ait. T. & G. Starved Aster. Si. racemous-pauioulate, hadry 

 or pubescent ; Ivs. sessile, lanceolate, sliarply serrate in the middle; invol. imbri- 

 cated with lanoe-linear, aoutisli scales ; rays short. — A very variable species, com- 

 mon in old fields, hedges, IT. S. and Can. In height it varies from 6 to 30', and 

 in luxuriance proportionately to the moisture or fertility of the soil. The st. is 

 very branching or nearly simple, bearing a large, compound, raoemous panicle, or 

 a few simple racemes. Lvs. narrow-lanceolate, or broad-lanceolate, always ser- 

 rate, 1 to 5' in length. Hds. usually numerous, small, with small, whito or pur- 

 plish rays. Aug. — Oct. (A. miser, divergens, diffusus and pendulus Ait.) 



fS. DIFFUSUS. Branches spreading, diffuse ; lvs. elliptic-lanceolate, more or 



less narrowly so, midvein hairy beneath ; hds. often sessile, forming short, 



crowded spikes, or long, virgate ones. 

 y. HIESUTIOADUS. St. hirsuto ; lvs. long and narrow, midvein hirsute ; hds. 



raoemous or. spioate, upper ones in short, dense branches ; scales linear. (A. 



hirsuticaulis Lindl.) 



33 A. multiflorus L. Grayish, pubescent; st. diffusely branched; lvs. linear, 

 entire, sessile, obtuse-mucronate, margins subciliate ; hds. small ; invol. imbricate, 

 squarrous, linear or spatulato, with oblong, obtuse, ciliate scales.— A very bushy As- 

 ter, high, with very numerous, small fls. crowded on the raoemous branches, eacli If 

 with about 1 2 whito rays spreading 6 to 6". Lvs. 1 to 2' long, obtuse, very narrow, 

 diminishing upwards to the scales. Boclcs and dry fields, "0. S. Variable. Sept. 



34 A. grandiflorus L. Rougli with stiff hairs ; st. rigid, branched, branches 

 somewhat corymbed and . l-flowered ; lvs. linear-spatulate or linear-oblong, small, 

 obtuse, rigid, subclasping ; hds. very large ; invol. squarrous, of numerous, obtuse, 

 reflexed scales, the outer leafy. — Dry, rocky places, Ta to Ga About 2f high. 

 Lvs. below 1 to 2' long, diminishing upwarda Hays showy, spreading 18 to 20", 

 blue-purple. Sept. — Nov. 



35 A. Carolinianus "Walt. Hough-pubescent, divaricately branched; lvs. 

 lajiOB-ovate or oblong, acute, entire, clasping, the base abruptly produced into 

 small, auriqulato lobes; hds. very large, scattered; scales imbricate, with squar- 

 rous, spreading, green tips. — A sliowy Aster, very tall, but slender, 6 to 13f high, 

 in damp thickets, S. Car. to Fla. Lvs. i to 3' long, 3 to 9" wide. Bays rose- 

 purple, numerous, spreading 15" Sept., Oct. 



36 A. oblongifdliu.? Nutt. St. rigid, diffusely branched, hairy; branches 

 spreading, with loose and irregular branclilets ; lvs. oblong-lanceolate, acute, mu- 

 crpnate, partly clasping, entire, rough-edged, or the branches and branclilets 

 gradually passing into the leafy, lanceolate, subequal, spreading scales. — ^Prairies, &c., 

 "W. States. Plant 1 to 2f high, often glandular; viscid. Cauline lvs. 12 to 20" by 

 3 to 5".; those of the branches 6'' by 2", of 'the branchlets 3" by f", indistin- 

 guishaljle from the scales. Rays purple. Pappus brownish. Sept., Oct. (A. 

 oblongifolius and A. graveolens Nutt.) 



37 A. EUiottii Torr. & Gr. Glabrous, stout; st. angular;" lvs. ample, lanceolate, 

 subclasping (not aurioled), serrate, with remote, small, appressed teeth; hds. 

 middle size, corymbous-panioulate; ped. naked; scales somewhat equal, linear-at- 

 tenuate, with spreading or recurved greenish tips. — River-swamps, N. Oar. to Ga. 

 A very stout Aster, 2 to 4f high. Lower lvs. 6' to 8' long, narrowed to a winged 

 petiole. Bays narrow, bright purple. Pappus tawny-white. Oct., Nov. 



38 A. virgatus Ell. Glabrous; st. and branches virgate, strict, racemed ; lvs. 

 linear-lanoeolate, entire, half-clasping, margins ciliolate-serralate, the upper re- 

 duced, becoming subulate, erect, numerous on the branches and pedilncles ; scales 

 lance-acuminate, the outer loose-spreading, graduating into the bracts ; ach. glab- 

 rous. — Ga. to La. Sts. 2 to 3f higb. Lvs. below, 3 to 6' by 3 to 6", firm and 

 shuimg. Sept., Oct. — Probably passes into the next. 



39 A. Novi B^lgii L. New Tore Aster. St. terete, stout, often glaucous, 



