42 



THE ASTERS. 



Like goldenrods most of the asters 

 bloom in fall and also like the last 

 species they are very strong numeri- 

 cally. The flowers heads, are com- 

 posed of a central disk of numerous 

 yellowish, tubular florets surround- 

 ed by strap-shaped flowers or rays. 

 These flower heads are rarely single 

 and often occur in great numbers on 

 a single plant. 



SMOOTH ASTERS, which is the 

 species shown here, are abundant in 

 dry soil and are in bloom from Aug- 

 ust until October. The ray florets 

 are of a particularly handsome shade 

 of blue. The plant is quite branch- 

 ing and the flower heads exceedingly numerous. It is par- 

 ticularly distinguished from other varieties by the fact that 

 the leaves clasp the stem with a distinctly heart-shaped base. 

 NEW ENGLAND ASTER are one of the largest of this 

 genus, attaining heights of two to six feet. The leaves are 

 smooth-edged and lance-shaped. The flowers are rather 

 large and purple rather than blue, containing thirty or forty 

 ravs about the golden center. 



MANY-FLOWERED ASTER is rightly named for the 

 flower heads are almost innumerable. The plant is very 

 branching or bushy and each branch terminates in clusters 

 of numerous but small flower head with white rays. 



WOOD ASTERS have comparatively few flower heads, 

 the centers are brownish yellow and the rays long, white, 

 narrow and few in number. The leaves of this species are 

 larger than those of the many-flowered species. 



GOLDEN ASTERS abound in summer in dry sandy 

 soil particularly near the sea coast. They are low branch- 

 ing species seldom attaining a height of more than a foot. 

 The numerous flowerheads have brownish centers and bright 

 orange-yellow rays. All asters are fertilized by bees or 

 other visitors crawling over the central disk of florets. 



