COMPOSITE. (COMPOSITE FAMILY.) 199 



5. A. gracilis, Nutt. Stem slender, slightly pubescent, corymbose at the 

 summit ; leaves rough, oblong, partly clasping, entire ; the lowest obscurely cre- 

 nate and narrowed into a petiole; heads corymbose ; involucre (whitish) obconi- 

 cal, as long as the disk; the scales very unequal, acute, the lower ones much 

 shorter, green and slightly spreading at the tips. — North Carolina and Tennes- 

 see. Sept. — Stem l°-2° high. Leaves l'-2' long. Heads smallest of this 

 group. Rays about 12, violet. 



G. A. SUrculosus, Michx. Stems several from a creeping caudex, slen- 

 der, pubescent above; leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acute, smooth, the 

 margins rough and sometimes sparingly serrate, clasping ; the lowest narrowed 

 into a petiole ; heads solitary, or 3-5 in a simple corymb ; involucre broadly 

 top-shaped, nearly as long as the disk ; the scales linear-spatulate, with abruptly 

 pointed spreading herbaceous tips ; the outer ones lanceolate and leaf-like. — 

 Margins of swamps, North Carolina. Sept. — Stems 2° -1 2° n iS n - Lowest 

 leaves 4' -6' long. Heads \' wide. Rays numerous, violet. 



7. A. paludosus, Ait. Stem slightly roughened ; leaves linear, rigid, 

 acute, entire, partly clasping, often fringed near the base; heads 3-8, racemed 

 or corymbed ; involucre hemispherical, as long as the disk ; the ' scales nearly 

 equal, linear-spatulate, with mucronate green and spreading tips. — Low pine 

 barrens, Florida to North Carolina. Sept. and Oct. — Stem l°-2° high. 

 Leaves 2' -4' long. Heads tj'-|' wide. Rays numerous, deep blue. 



8. A. spinulostlS, n. sp. Rhizoma tuberous; stem rigid, sprinkled with 

 white jointed hairs ; leaves rigid, narrow-linear, pungent, appressed, the mar- 

 gins fringed with bristly hairs ; the lowest ones very numerous and elongated ; 

 heads 4-8 in a simple spike; involucre bell-shaped, rather shorter than the 

 disk ; scales equal, lanceolate-subulate, rigid, erect, spine-pointed, bristly near 

 the base ; achenia strongly ribbed. — Damp pine barrens, West Florida, near 

 the coast. June- August. — Stem 10'- 15' high. Lowest leaves G'-12' long, 

 l"-3" wide ; the upper ones 1 ? long. Heads J' wide. Rays 12-15, pale blue. 

 Pappus tawny. 



9. A. eryngiifolius, Torr. & Gray. Rhizoma tuberous ; stem rigid, 

 sprinkled with jointed hairs ; leaves lanceolate-linear, pungent, the lowest mostly 

 entire; the others erect, and fringed with spiny teeth; heads very large, solitary 

 or 3 -4 in a loose raceme ; involucre hemispherical, shorter than the disk ; scales 

 very numerous, herbaceous, rigid, lanceolate, tapering into a long and slender 

 recurved tip; achenia short, oblong. — Low pine barrens, Florida. June -Au- 

 gust. — Steml°-2° high. Lowest leaves 4'- 6' long. Heads 1' or more in 

 diameter. Rays numerous, white. 



§ 3. Aster proper. — Scales of the involucre imbricated in various degrees, with 

 herbaceous tips: rays numerous: achenia flattened : pappus of soft capillary bris- 

 tles, not thickened upward: autumnal plants. 



* Leaves uniform, small, sessile, entire, silky or silvery on both sides, mucronate: 

 scales of the involucre imbricated in 3 - several rows : rays violet-purple. 



10. A. sericeus, Vent. Stem with numerous branches, bearing the large 

 heads (single or 3 in a cluster) at their summits ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, sil- 



