23G JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



species long cultivated in gardens as Diplostephium discolor. 

 Very few also of the temperate Asian species are in gardens now. 

 Haupti, altaicus, and may be cabulicus, are the only species we 

 possess, and none of them are worth a place among garden- 

 flowers. 



We now come to the North American species, which include 

 over two-thirds of the most ornamental Asters in cultivation. 

 They are derived from something less than twenty species, and 

 by far the greater number of them may be traced to Novi-Belgii 

 and Icevis. 



The section Biotia includes macrophyllus and corymbosus, 

 both useful, free-flowering plants. 



Section Doellingeria takes in uvibellatus and cornifolius, the 

 former a bold, showy, white-flowered species (a splendid clump of 

 a good variety of it is now in flower at Chiswick). 



Ianthe takes in the dwarf linariifolius , a typical rock-plant, 

 free-flowering, and of good bushy habit. 



Orihomeris includes vtarmicoides , a dwarf plant with white 

 flowers ; acuminatus, with broad leaves and pink-tinged flowers ; 

 nemoralis, one of the prettiest of the section in the Kew collec- 

 tion ; glaucus ; and tenuifolius, which is a graceful, free- 

 branching species, very leafy, and with innumerable white starry 

 flowers. 



MaclioBranthera takes in the handsome annual tanacetifolius , 

 the biennial gymnoccplialus, and the beautiful Bigelovii. This 

 latter, which was figured in the Botanical Magazine, tab. 6430, 

 as A. Townshendii, is a very handsome, easily cultivated plant. 

 It is biennial, growing from 2 to 3 feet high, with large, massive 

 heads of bright lilac-purple flowers. 



Erigerastrum includes the dwarf A. yoeregrinus of the J\retic 

 coast. 



Aster proper takes in all the species with which we are most 

 concerned at present. Out of eighty species and varieties belong- 

 ing to this section, no less than fifty are in cultivation ; and 

 although many of these could be well dispensed with, the 

 majority of them are distinct enough for most purposes, and 

 variable enough in habit, in height, and in size and colour of 

 flowers to suit the taste of the most fastidious cultivator. From 

 the huge Novce-Anglitz to the tiny Beevcsii we have in this 

 section alone every gradation possible ; and in flowers, from the 



