ASTBBOIDB*] 



SYNGENESIA 467 



he inner leaflets of the involucre ; disk often becoming purple. Akcnes obconic,- 

 *cabrous-pubescent. 

 Bab. Old fields; borders of thickets, &c. frequent. Fl. Sept. Fr. October. 



Ob$. Several Asters have been described, as species, which are so nearly allied 

 to this, that I think the attempt to keep them distinct, only tends to perpetuate 

 the confusion now existing, in relation to them, I have therefore cited them, or 

 some of them, at least, as Synonyms. 



11. A. TEicuiFOLius, L ? Stem mostly smooth, much branched, 

 branches virgate, with the branchlets subsecund ; leaves narrow, lance- 

 linear, tapering at each end, entire, slightly scabrous on the margin ; 

 involucre somewhat hemispherical, loosely imbricate, the leaflets linear- 

 oblong, acute, spreading at apex. Beck, Bot. p. 181. 



Also ? A. dumosus, A. ericoides, &c. of Authors. 



Slexdeu-lfaved Aster. 



Stem 1 to 2 or 3 feet high, smooth, sometimes a little pubescent, with numerous 

 leafy branches. Radical leaves 1 to 3 or 4 inches long, and 1 third to 3 fourths of 

 an inch wide, lanceolate, or sometimes spatulate, sparingly serrate, smooth, ciliate 

 tapering to ^petiole nearly as long as the leaf; stern-leaves I to 3 inches long, and 

 I lo 4 or 5 lines wide, those on the branches smaller, subulate-linear, or oblong. 

 Hca'ls of flowers small, numerous, solitary on the leafy peduncles, or branchlets, 

 which are mostly secund on the principal branches ; leaflets of the involucre lin 

 ear, or cuneate-oblong, acute, white, with a green rhomboid-lanceolate spot a* 

 apex ; rays white, or pale purple. Akenes minutely pubescent. 



Hub. Old fields; roadsides, &c. common. Fl. August— Sept. /V.October. 



Obs. The Asters allied to this, as well as to the preceding species, are so vari- 

 able, and yet apparently so blended by intermediate specimens, that I have thought 

 it best, wtth my imperfect means of determining them, to pass them over as var* 

 ietits. We have, however, some small-flowered bushy specimens,— with the stems 

 more pubescent, and the leaves more lanceolate, or elliptic-oblong, — which mar 

 be specifically distinct; and in their characters agree partly with A. coridifolius 

 Mx. and partly with A. mult\florus, Ait. as described by Nees. But the truth is, 

 they seem to run into each other so that I find it impracticable to draw a satisfac- 

 tory line of demarcation between them. 



12. A. saltcifolius, Ait. Stem smoothish, paniculate; leaves lin- 

 ear-lanceolate, attenuate, sessile, smooth, scabrous on the margin, caul- 

 ine ones subserrate, upper ones entire ; involucre loosely imbricate, the 

 leaflets lance-linear, acute, unequal, often recurved at apex. Beck, 

 Bot. p. 182. Not of Florul. Cestr. 



A. praaltus. Nees, Ast. p. 71. 



Willow-leaved Aster. 



Stem 18 inches to 5 or 6 feet high, terete, striate, smoothish, often purple, branch- 

 ed above, the branches and upper part of the stem more or less marked with 

 pilose lines decurrent from the base of the leaves. Leaves 1 to 4 inches long, and 

 2 or 3 lines to half an inch wide,— radical ones 1 or 2 inches long, oblong-apata- 

 late, obtuse, mucronate, sparingly crenate-serrate, tapering and ciliate towards 

 the base,— stem-leaves 3 or 4 inches long, linear-lanceolate, slender, very acute, 

 remotely and sparingly, but sharply serrate, scabrous on the margin, and sparsely 

 rilose with appresscd hairs on the upper surface, sessile and sub-amplexicauh— 

 branch-leaves half an inch to an inch and half long, numerous, narrow, lanct- 



