A. puniceus is another tall swamp-species, with long showy pale lavender ray-flowers.
One of the most commonly encountered asters is A. cordifolius, which is far from being the only heart-leaved species, despite its title. Its many small, pale blue or almost white flower-heads mass themselves abundantly along the wood-borders and shaded roadsides.
Perhaps the loveliest of all the tribe is the seaside purple aster, A. spectabilis, a low plant with narrowly oblong leaves and large bright heads, the violet-purple ray-flowers of which are nearly an inch long. This grows in sandy soil near the coast and may be found putting forth its royal, daisy-like blossoms into November.
Great Britain can claim but one native aster, A. Trifolium, or sea-starwort as it is called. Many American species are cultivated in English gardens under the general title of Michaelmas daisies. The starwort of Italy is A. amellus. The Swiss species is A. Alpinum.
This beautiful genus, like that of the golden-rod, is one of the peculiar glories of our country. Every autumn these two kinds of flowers clothe our roadsides and meadows with so regal a mantle of purple and gold that we cannot but wonder if the flowers of any other region combine in such a radiant display.
Iron-weed.
Vernonia Noveboracensis. Composite Family (p. [13]).
Stem.—Leafy, usually tall. Leaves.—Alternate, somewhat lance-oblong. Flower-heads.—An intense red-purple, loosely clustered, composed entirely of tubular flowers.
Along the roadsides and low meadows near the coast the iron-weed adds its deep purple hues to the color-pageant of late August. By the uninitiated the plant is often mistaken for an aster, but a moment’s inspection will discover that the minute flowers which compose each flower-head are all tubular in shape, and that the ray or strap-shaped blossoms which an aster must have are wanting. These flower-heads are surrounded by an involucre composed of small scales which are tipped with a tiny point and are usually of a purplish color also.
Blue Curls. Bastard Pennyroyal.
Trichostema dichotomum. Mint Family (p. [16]).
Stem.—Rather low, branching, clammy. Leaves.—Opposite, narrowly oblong or lance-shaped, glutinous, with a balsamic odor. Flowers.—Purple, occasionally pinkish, not usually clustered. Calyx.—Five-cleft, two-lipped. Corolla.—Five-lobed, the three lower lobes more or less united. Stamens.—Four, very long and curved, protruding. Pistil.—One, with a two-lobed style.