October 21, 1893. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
117 
greenhouse at this period of the year with charming 
effect. For many years there have been good collec¬ 
tions in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural 
Society at Chiswick and at Kew. Since the Confer¬ 
ence on Asters at the former place the collection has 
been greatly enriched, and is now as representative 
as any in the country. 
A number of Asters may be mentioned here, 
which, although not Michaelmas Daisies proper, it 
would be gross neglect to overlook. Virgil’s 
Amellus or the Italian Starwort (Aster Amellus) 
flowers splendidly from August to October, and is 
still a most conspicuous object where it has been 
planted in soil of even moderate fertility. There 
are several forms of it, but it would be difficult to 
detect a difference between A. Amellus and 
A. A. amelloides, both of which are dwarf. Then 
again there seems no appreciable difference between 
the plants indicated by the names A. A. bessarabicus 
and A. A. major, for they seem identical under 
similar conditions. The former name should there¬ 
fore be retained. It is 
the tallest of the forms, 
and under good cultiva¬ 
tion differs chiefly or 
entirely in its greater 
stature. It is the earli¬ 
est recorded Aster of 
which w’e know, and is 
the plant of which Virgil 
sang, and who lived b.c. 
70 to rg. There are sev¬ 
eral translations of his 
passage concerning 
Amellus, but the following 
is as correct a translation 
as any, although the de¬ 
scription of the flower it¬ 
self is not so perfect;— 
" A flower there is that 
grows in meadow ground, - 
Amellus called, and easy 
to be found ; 
For, from one root, the 
rising stems bestow 
A wood of leaves, and 
violet purple boughs. 
The flower itself is glori¬ 
ous to behold. 
And shines on altars like 
refulgent gold— 
Sharp to the taste—by 
shepherds near the 
stream 
Of Mella found; and 
thence they gave the 
name." 
There are several other 
European Asters not 
classed with the true 
Michaelmas Daisies, no¬ 
tably A. acris, A. canus, 
and A. Linosyris. There 
are several forms of A. 
acris, but A. a. nanus is 
the best, being a foot 
high and having bright 
blue-purple flowers. A. 
canus has panicles of 
deep lilac flowers and 
grey leaves. The ter¬ 
minal corymbs of bloom of A. Linosyris are 
golden-yellow; occasionally a few white rays 
are present, but very often they are entirely 
absent. It is well named Goldilocks. Very hand¬ 
some is A. dahuricus about 2 ft. high with large 
corymbs of blue-purple flowers. It comes from 
Siberia and has its counterpart in A. dracuncu- 
loides with a few long purple rays to each flower and 
stems 3 ft. high. Like most of the above they be¬ 
long to the section Galatella all of which bear flat 
panicles of bloom. 
The varieties of A. Novi-Belgii are now very 
numerous and many of them very handsome. 
They are true Michaelmas Daisies, unless the name 
be given to one species as was originally the case. 
In the front rank we would place A. N.-B. densus 
about 2 ft. to 3 ft. high, and densely covered all over 
the top with lively blue flowers. The accompanying 
illustration will give an idea of it. Similar in the 
colour of the flowers is that named Juno, but the 
plant is 4 ft. high and of more tapering outline 
Pluto is equally handsome and hardly distin¬ 
guishable. Wm. Marshall grows 5 ft. to 7 ft. high. 
branches freely and develops a great profusion of 
bright lavender-blue flowers of the first magnitude. 
The best white variety is Harpur Crewe, 3 ft. to 5 ft. 
high, and producing long panicles of white flowers 
of good average size. A. N.-B. laevigatus must also 
be included on account of its profusion of rosy 
flowers and dwarf habit, being only 18 in. to 2 ft. 
high. Supposing a collection to be limited to si.x of 
the most distinct and best of the varieties of 
A. Novi-Belgii, the above would be our selection ; 
but if Juno and Pluto be considered too close to re¬ 
tain as distinct, then we should substitute either 
Grandiflorus, deep blue-purple ; Robert Parker, 
clear light blue; or Fortunae, with large lilac 
flowers, and very floriferous. 
There is a large number of really excellent varieties 
that might be included in a second list, and there 
maybe differences of opinion as to whether some of 
them might not be included in the premier list. 
Minerva is a graceful and loosely-branched variety 
with large soft lilac rays and a golden disc becoming 
orange-red. Pysche has large lilac-blue flowers. 
The stems of Vesta are only 2 ft. high, and the 
white flowers are produced on a round-headed bush 
much after the style of A. N.-B. densus, but they are 
almost out of season now. Flora is a late variety 
with deeper lilac flowers than Fortunae and slightly 
dwarfer. It is distinct, and we have seen it under 
the name of A. spectabilis. Berenice has large, pale 
lilac and starry flowers that make themselves very 
conspicuous by opening almost all at one time. The 
tall loosely-branched stems of Ariadne bear large 
pale blue flowers. The rosy lilac flowers of Proser¬ 
pina are distinct and pretty on the tall, much 
branched stems. Growers are wont to lay much 
stress on the beauty of Formosissimus, probably on 
account of the rich purple flowers. Calliope has 
rosy lilac flowers like Proserpina, but it is much 
dwarfer, being only 3 ft. high. Very early and rather 
distinct is Janus with white flowers tinted rose. 
Another early variety is Ravenna, rosy-purple. 
Floribundus is closely similar to Grandiflorus, both 
having purple stems and deep blue-purple flowers. 
Somewhat similar is Arcturus, but it is even more 
rigid and stiff in habit. Archer Hind differs from 
all the three in having almost green stems, a 
more graceful habit and clearer blue flowers. It is 
certainly choice in its way. To this list of varieties 
of A. Novi-Belgii, might be added Virgil, 3 ft. high, 
with bright blue flowers. It is sometimes classed as 
a variety of A laevis, but it has little affinity with 
that species. 
In former years A. laevis was grown in gardens 
under the name of A. Chapmaniand is characterised 
by narrow oblong leaves clasping the stem, moderate 
sized bright blue flowers, and a slender, graceful 
habit. The varieties of A. Novae-Angliae are as 
conspicuous in gardens as those of A. Novi-Belgii, 
except in being less numerous. By propagation from 
cuttings in spring and growing them in pots, both 
kinds can be kept very dwarf if so desired. A. N.- 
A. praecox is very early and now almost out of 
bloom. Roseus, rose, ruber, rosy-purple, and pul- 
chellus, with rich blue-purple flowers, are now in per¬ 
fection. The last-named is the dwarfest of all as a rule. 
There are several other 
Asters that ought to find 
a place in every well 
ordered collection, and 
many of them are well 
adapted for pot culture. 
As the name indicates, 
the flowers of A. versi¬ 
color are changeable in 
colour. They are white 
when first expanded, but 
soon change to a light 
rose, so that a bush 
shows a pretty mixture 
of the two colours. 
There are several vari¬ 
eties, but they differ 
chiefly in height or 
slightly in colour, and 
are generally about 18 
in. to 2 ft. high. A. 
paniculatus Grant’s var. 
has white flowers chang¬ 
ing to blush-lilac with a 
purple disc. The large 
lavender-coloured 
flowers of A. turbinellus 
are very pretty and 
thinly disposed on slen¬ 
der, gracefully branched 
stems about 2 ft. to 3 ft. 
high. A amethystinus 
bears a great profusion 
of purple flowers, fading 
to lilac, and of moderate¬ 
ly small size. Somewhat 
similar in habit is A. 
multiflorus, not very 
graceful, but producing 
dense and beautiful 
sprays of miniature white 
flowers. A. vimineus, on 
the other hand, is ex¬ 
tremely elegant in its 
twiggy and branching 
habit, and when left 
alone produces a round 
bush with myriads of 
small white flowers. 
Somewhat similar in many respects, but much taller, 
is A. Tradescanti. It grows 4 ft. to 6 ft. high, 
flowers very late, and is the true or original 
Michaelmas Daisy according to Loudon. The in¬ 
dividual flowers are like small white Daisies. 
Quite different in their way are A. diffusus, A. 
dumosus, A. cordifolius, and A. Drummondi. Those 
who like Asters, generally, would include the most of 
them or their best varieties in a collection. A. 
diffusus horizontalis is a gem, with a mass of tiny 
blooms, having white rays and a bright' reddish pur¬ 
ple disc arranged on short horizontal sprays. Similar 
in colour is A. dumosus, but the individual blooms 
are larger, and they entirely cover a dumpy, dwarf, 
rounded-headed bush, 12 in. to 18 in. high. It is a 
pretty Aster, but dumpy and ungraceful. The very 
reverse of this is A. cordifolius elegans, with palest 
lilac-white rays and a deep purple disc, produced in 
the most wanton profusion. A. c. Diana has white 
flowers, but the disc ultimately becomes rosy, in 
some cases at least. A. Drummondi differs from A. 
cordifolius by its greater height (5 ft.) and the larger 
size of the individual flowers. 
