PRAIRIE ASTER 



Aster campestris Nuttall 



In one of our saddle journeys in the Columbia River Valley in 

 British Columbia, the waning season for flowers brought to our 

 notice this beautiful aster. It seemed to ignore the dry soil conditions, 

 and expanded its bright purple flowers in many exposed situations 

 where other plants had gone to seed The slender stems are very brit- 

 tle; the narrow leaves are usually entire, though sometimes toothed. 



The prairie aster ranges along the Rocky Mountains from Colorado 

 to Oregon and northward to Alberta and British Columbia. 



The specimen sketched grew near Radium Hot Springs, British 

 Columbia, at an altitude of 3,000 feet. 



PLATE 118 



