ASIMINA-ASTER. 79 
with 2 bracts; flowers sessile; styles 1-2. Sandy fields. N. J. to Car, 
Flowers solitary, axillary, nearly sessile, pale yellow. This plant varies 
so much in the size and number of its teuves, and in the number of its 
styles, that it seems doubtful whether more than one species are not here 
included. Sand. St. Peter's wort. 
ASIMINA. 12—13. (AnnorKB.) [From the Greek asajraenos, sad.] 
trilo'ba, (Ap. l-j.) leaves oblong, crenate, acuminate, and with the branches 
smoothish ; flowers on short peduncles ; outer petals roundish ovate, 4 times 
as long as the calyx. Banks of streams. N. Y. to Flor. Flowers solitary, 
dark brown; fruit large, fleshy, eatable, sweetish. 15-20 f. American 
papaw tree. 
ASPARAGUS. 6—1. (Asparagi.) [A Greek word, signifying a young shoot.] 
officina'lis, (asparagus, Ju. %.) stem herbaceous, unarmed, sub-erect, terete; 
leaves bristle-form, soft ; stipules sub-solitary. Naturalized. 4 f. 
ASPHODELUS. 6 — 1. (Asphodelt.) [From the Greek apodelus, ashes, because it was for- 
merly planted upon the graves of the dead.] 
lu'teus, (asphodel, king's spear, %.) stem leafy; leaves 3-sided, striate. Ex. 
ramo'sus, stem naked, leaves ensiform, carinate, smooth. Ex. 
ASPIDIUM. 21—1. (FUices.) [From aspides, round like a shield ; shield-form.] 
margina'le, (Ju. %.) frond doubly-pinnate ; lesser leafets oblong, obtuse, de- 
current, crenate ; more deeply crenate at the base ; fruit-dots marginal ; 
stipe chaffy. 2-3 f. 
ASTER. 17—2. iCorymbiferm.') [A Greek word, signifying star.] 
A. Leaves entire. 
ri^gidus, (p. y. Au. %.) leaves linear, mucronate, sub-carinate, rigid ; margin 
rough-ciliate; the cauline leaves reflexed, the branch ones spreading, sub- 
ulate ; stem erect, somewhat branched above ; branchlets 1-flowered, co- 
rymbed ; calyx imbricate, twice as short as the disk ; scales obtusish, cari- 
nate ; rays about 10-flowered, reflexed. Hardly a foot high. 
linariifoTms, (p. y. Au. %.') leaves thick set, nerveless, linear, mucronate, 
dotted, carinate, rough, stiff, those on the branches recurved : stem sub-de- 
cumbent ; branches level-topped, 1-flowered; calyx imbricate, of the length 
of the disk ; stem rough, purplish. 
muUiflo'rus, (w-y. Au. to Nov. %.) leaves linear, smoothish ; stem very 
branching, diffuse, pubescent ; branchlets one way ; calyx imbricate ; scales 
oblong, scurvy, acute. 
^exuo^sus, (y. w-p. Au. %.) very glabrous ; leaves subulate, linear, somewhat 
fleshy, sub-reflexed, stem slender, very branching; branches and branch- 
lets spreading, bristle-form, 1-flowered; scales of the peduncles divaricate, 
subulate ; calyx imbricate, scales close-pressed, acute. Salt marshes. 
corni/o'lius, (w. Au. %.) glabrous ; leaves oblong-ovate, acuminate, short-pe- 
tioled ; margin rough; stem glabrous; panicle few-flowered; branches 
2-flowered ; calyx sub-imbricate. 
amygdali'nus, (w. S. %.) leaves lanceolate, tapering to the base, acuminate ; 
margin rough ; stem simple, level-top-corymbed at the top; calyx lax-im- 
bricate ; scales lanceolate, obtuse ; rays large. 
nova-ang'lice, (b-p. Au. %.) leaves linear-lanceolate, pilose, clasping, auricled 
at the base ; stem sub-simple, pilose, straight and stiff; flowers sub-sessile, 
terminal, crowded; scales of the calyx lax^ coloured, lanceolate, longer 
than the disk. In rich soil it grows 10 feet high ; flowers large. 
cya'neus, (b-p, Au. %.) leaves linear-lanceolate, clasping, smooth ; stem 
wand-like-panicled, very glabrous ; branches racemed ; scales of the calyx 
lax, lanceolate, equalling the disk, inner ones coloured at the apex. 3-4 f. 
Flowers many and large. This is the handsomest of the asters. 
B. Leaves more or less cordate and ovate, serrate, or toothed. 
diversifo'lius, (E. y. p, S. %.) leaves nearly entire, undulate, pubescent, sub- 
scabrous ; lower ones cordate, ovate, with winged petioles ; upper ones 
lance-oblong; panicle loose, the branches slender, racemose, 3 f. 
fanicula' tus, (b-p. Au. to Nov. %.) leaves ovate-lanceolate, sub-serrate, petj- 
oled, glabrous; radical ones ovate, heart-form, serrate, rough, petioled; 
