1913 ] 
Monroe: Wild Asters of Wisconsin 
75 
perhaps, to secure a permanent footing; others, after a losing strug- 
gle, destined to perish forever. 
The old notion of a species, as something definite, fixed and 
stable, nowhere breaks down more completely than when an at- 
tempt is made to apply it to the different forms of Aster as we find 
them in this country. Different species are so connected by inter- 
mediate forms that we often feel like ignoring specific distinctions 
and grouping two or more species together under one name. On 
the other hand, to one of a more analytical bent of mind, the 
difference between members of a single species may appear so 
marked that he will be under constant temptation to separate 
them in still smaller subdivisions and to give to each specific 
rank. But, whichever course we follow, the different groups into 
•which the genus, or a species, may be divided represent little more 
than particular tendencies or directions of variation, and the 
members of each make up a series illustrating the different stages. 
The word “ species, ” as applied to our North American Asters, 
can hardly be said to have any other significance than this. 
It does not seem a valid objection that under such a definition 
a single plant might be conceived as belonging to more than one 
species. The same thing must be true of any scheme which does 
not involve an infinitesimal splitting up of species. Under any 
practical system that may be adopted there must inevitably be 
many plants lying so far outside the norm of any specific type, and 
yet exhibiting such relationship to several, that they may as prop- 
erly be included under one as under another of two or more related 
groups. 
With all its apparent capriciousness the genus is nevertheless 
characterized by a curious sort of persistency. The most unusual 
varieties may be duplicated in widely separated localities. We 
shall find in the territory here under consideration several varie- 
ties originally assigned to other and much restricted habitats. 
Among these may be mentioned A. lateriflorus var. hirsuticaulis, 
“ founded only on specimens from Albany, N. Y.;” A. ericoides var. 
Pringlei, “Rocky islands and shores, northern part of Lake Cham- 
plain A. concinnus ; A. vimineus var. saxatilis; A. umbellatusv ar. 
latifolius; and A. agrostifolius. 
Another interesting fact in this connection is the tendency shown 
by quite different species to vary in similar directions. Illustra- 
