FIG. 179. ASTER CORYMBOSUS, showing Habit and Flower-head.
A. corymbosus (corymbose). fl.-heads corymbose, about 1in. in diameter; ray-florets few, narrow, white; disk-florets pale yellow. Autumn. l. 3in. long, cordate acute, lobed at the base, coarsely toothed. Stems brittle, blackish purple. h. 2ft. to 3ft. SYN. Biotia corymbosa. See Fig. 179.
A. diffusus (diffuse). fl.-heads white; involucres imbricated. October. l. elliptic-lanceolate, equal, serrated, smooth. Branches spreading. Stem pubescent. h. 2ft. North America, 1777.
A. Douglasii (Douglas's).* fl.-heads purple; involucral scales linear or spathulate-linear, loosely imbricated. August. l. lanceolate, acute, entire, or rarely serrate, mostly tapering at the base. Stem smooth, slender, paniculately branched, leafy. h. 3ft. to 4ft. California, &c.
A. dracunculoides (Tarragon-like).* fl.-heads white, about 1in. across, disposed in dense cymose clusters; involucre imbricated. September, October. l. linear, acuminated, entire; lower ones linear-lanceolate, sub-serrate. Branches corymbose. h. 3ft. North America, 1811. A very handsome species.
A. dumosus (bushy).* fl.-heads white, about ½in. across, disposed in broad clusters; involucre cylindrical, closely imbricated. October. l. linear, glabrous; those of the branches very short. Branches panicled. h. 2ft. North America, 1734.
A. d. albus (white).* fl.-heads quite white, and rather smaller than those of the species. North America.
A. d. violaceus (violet). fl.-heads violet-purple. North America.
A. elegans (elegant). fl.-heads blue, small; corymb contracted, drooping; scales of involucre oblong-cuneate, blunt, squarrose. September. l. scabrous; cauline ones oblong-lanceolate, acute; radical ones oblong, stalked. h. 2ft. North America, 1790. A very elegant species, having a graceful habit.
A. eminens (eminent). fl.-heads light blue. October. l. linear-lanceolate, acuminate, scabrous at edge; lower ones sub-serrated. Stem panicled; branches one-headed. h. 2ft. North America.
FIG. 180. ASTER ERICOIDES.
A. ericoides (Heath-like).* fl.-heads white; involucre squarrose, leaflets acute. September. l. linear, glabrous; those of the branches subulate, close together; and those of the stem long. h. 3ft. North America, 1758. A very pretty species. See Fig. 180.
A. floribundus (many-flowered).* fl.-heads light purple. September. l. sub-amplexicaul, lanceolate; lower ones serrated. Stem smooth; branches corymbose. h. 4ft. North America.
A. foliosus (leafy). fl.-heads pale blue; involucre imbricate. September. l. linear-lanceolate, acuminate, narrowed at each end. Stem downy, panicled, erect; branches few-headed. h. 3ft. North America, 1732.
A. fragilis (fragile). fl.-heads flesh-coloured, small; involucre imbricated. September. l. linear, acuminate, entire; radical ones oblong, serrate. Branches in corymbose panicles. h. 2ft. North America, 1800.
FIG. 181. ASTER GRANDIFLORUS.
A. grandiflorus (large-flowered).* fl.-heads purple, large, terminal; scales of involucre squarrose. November. l. linear, rigid, acute, sub-amplexicaul; those of the branches reflexed, hispid at edge. h. 2ft. North America, 1720. See Fig. 181.
A. hyssopifolius (Hyssop-leaved).* fl.-heads white, or purple shaded; scales of the involucre about half as long as the disk. August to October. l. linear-lanceolate, acute, with the margins scabrous. Branches fastigiate and corymbose, smooth. h. 1½ft. to 2ft. North America.
A. lævigatus (smooth-stemmed). fl.-heads flesh-coloured, about 1in. across, disposed in large panicles. September. l. sub-amplexicaul, broad-lanceolate, sub-serrate, smooth. Stem glabrous. Branches many-headed. h. 3ft. North America, 1794.
A. lævis (smooth).* fl.-heads blue; involucre imbricated with cuneiform leaflets. September. l. sub-amplexicaul, remotely oblong, entire, lucid; radical ones sub-serrated. h. 2ft. North America, 1758. One of the best border species.
A. laxus (loose-flowered). fl.-heads white, about 1in. across; clusters loose. October. l. linear-lanceolate, scabrous at edge; lower ones sub-serrated; stem ones reflexed. Stem loosely panicled. h. 2ft. North America.
A. linarifolius (Toad-flax-leaved). fl.-heads pale blue. September. l. numerous, linear, mucronated, nerveless, not dotted, keeled, scabrous, rigid. Branches fastigiate, one-headed. h. 1ft. North America, 1699.
A. linifolius (Flax-leaved). fl.-heads white; involucre imbricated, short. July. l. linear, nerveless, dotted, scabrous, reflexed, spreading. Branches corymbose, fastigiate, leafy. h. 2ft. North America, 1739.
A. longifolius (long-leaved).* fl.-heads white, 1in. across, in dense corymbose panicles; involucre squarrose. October. l. linear-lanceolate, rarely toothed, very long, smooth. h. 3ft. North America, 1798. There are several varieties of this handsome species.
A. l. formosus (charming).* fl.-heads pink, produced in dense corymbs. h. 1½ft. to 2ft.
A. macrophyllus (large-leaved). fl.-heads white. August. l. large, ovate, stalked, serrated, scabrous; upper ones cordate, sessile. Stem branched, diffuse. h. 2ft. North America, 1739.
A. multiflorus (many-flowered).* fl.-heads white, small; corymb large, elongated; involucre imbricated; scales oblong, squarrose, acute. September. l. linear, glabrous. Stem much branched, diffuse, downy; branchlets one-sided. h. 3ft. North America, 1732.
A. myrtifolius (Myrtle-leaved). fl.-heads white; involucre imbricated; scales length of disk. August. l., stem ones, amplexicaul, scabrous; those of the branches small. h. 2ft. 1812.
A. novæ-angliæ (New England).* fl.-heads purple, in terminal clusters. September. l. linear-lanceolate, pilose, amplexicaul, auricled at base. Stem simple, pilose, straight. h. 6ft. North America, 1710. One of the best; having a tall and robust habit.
A. n.-a. rubra (red).* fl.-heads deep red pink, in other respects like the type. North America, 1812.
A. novæ-belgii (New York).* fl.-heads pale blue. September. l. sub-amplexicaul, lanceolate, glabrous, scabrous at edge; lower ones sub-serrated. Branches divided. h. 4ft. North America, 1710. There is a variety known in gardens which belongs to this species, under the name of amethystinus, the flowers of which are much larger and very showy.
A. obliquus (oblique). fl.-heads numerous; ray white; disk purplish. Autumn. l. alternate; lower ones linear-lanceolate, oblique; upper stem ones smaller. h. 5ft. North America. A very fine species, forming large tufts.
A. paniculatus (panicled).* fl.-heads light blue; involucre loose. September. l. ovate-lanceolate, sub-serrated, stalked, smooth; petioles naked. Stem much branched, smooth. h. 4ft. North America, 1640.
A. pannonicus (Pannonian). fl.-heads violet; scales of involucre lanceolate, blunt, equal. July. l. linear-lanceolate, hispid at edge. Stem simple, corymbose. h. 2ft. Hungary, 1815.
A. patens (spreading). fl.-heads light purple, about 1in. across. October. l. oblong-lanceolate, ciliate, cordate, amplexicaul, scabrous on each side, hairy. Stem branched, hairy. h. 2ft. North America, 1773.
A. pendulus (drooping).* fl.-heads pure white at first, ultimately rosy pink, small. September. l. elliptic-lanceolate, serrate, smooth, those of the branches distant. Branches much spreading, pendulous. h. 2ft. North America, 1758. A very pretty species.
A. peregrinus (foreign).* fl.-heads bluish purple, 2in. across. July, August. l. lanceolate, sub-acute, entire, smooth, those of the stem rather narrower than the radical ones. Stem smooth, or nearly so, two or three-flowered. h. 1ft. North America. A very pretty little species for the rockery or border.
A. pilosus (pilose). fl.-heads pale blue; involucre oblong, loose, imbricated. September. l. linear-lanceolate, hoary. Stem branched, villous; branchlets somewhat one-sided, one-headed. h. 2ft. North America, 1812.
A. præcox (early). fl.-heads violet; involucre imbricated; scales nearly equal; outer scales somewhat spreading. July. l. oblong-lanceolate, narrowed at the base. Stem hairy. h. 2ft. North America, 1800.
A. pulchellus (beautiful).* fl.-heads purple, solitary; scales of involucre nearly equal, linear, acuminate. June. l., radical ones spathulate; cauline ones linear-lanceolate. h. 1ft. Armenia.
A. puniceus (red-stalked). fl.-heads blue, about 1in. across; panicle large, pyramidal; involucre loose, longer than the disk. September. l. amplexicaul, lanceolate, serrate, roughish. Branches panicled. h. 6ft. North America, 1710.
A. pyrenæus (Pyrenean).* fl.-heads lilac-blue (disk yellow), large, three to five in a short corymb. July. l. scabrous on both sides; cauline ones oblong-lanceolate, acute, sessile, sharply serrated on the upper part. h. 1ft. to 1½ft. Pyrenees.
A. Reevesi (Reeves's). fl.-heads white, with yellow centre, small; panicle dense, pyramidal. Autumn. l. linear, acute. Branches slender. h. 9in. to 12in. North America. A very desirable species, suitable for rockwork.
A. reticulatus (netted). fl.-heads white. July. l. lanceolate-oblong, acute at each end, sessile, revolute at end, netted, and three-nerved beneath. Plant hoary all over. h. 3ft. North America, 1812.
A. rubricaule (red-stemmed). Synonymous with A. spurius.
A. salicifolius (Willow-leaved). fl.-heads flesh-coloured; involucre lanceolate, imbricate; scales acute, spreading at end. September. l. linear-lanceolate, nearly entire, smooth. Stem smooth, panicled at end. h. 6ft. North America, 1760.
A. salsuginosus (salt-plains).* fl.-heads violet-purple; involucral scales linear, loose, glandular. July. l. entire, the lower spathulate, obovate, tapering into a margined petiole; the upper ones lanceolate, acute, with broad base, usually sub-amplexicaul. Stem minutely pubescent, leafy nearly to the top, few-flowered. h. 9in. to 18in. North America, 1827. A very handsome species.
A. s. elatior (tallest). This variety grows 2ft. or more high, and has rather larger flowers than the type. North America.
A. sericeus (silky). fl.-heads deep blue; terminal, about 1½in. across. Summer and autumn. l. oblong-lanceolate, sessile, entire, three-nerved, silky with down. h. 3ft. Missouri, 1802. This is a half-hardy evergreen shrub, and requires a warm, well-drained soil.
A. serotinus (late-flowering). fl.-heads blue. September. l. oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, sessile, smooth, scabrous at edge; lower ones serrated; branches corymbose, smooth. h. 3ft. North America.
A. Shortii (Short's). fl.-heads purplish blue, about 1in. across; panicles long, racemose. Autumn. l. lanceolate, elongated, acuminated, cordate at the base. h. 2ft. to 4ft. Stem slender, spreading. North America.
A. sibiricus (Siberian). fl.-heads blue; involucre loose; leaflets lanceolate, acuminate, hispid. August. l. lanceolate, sub-amplexicaul, serrate, pilose, scabrous. h. 2ft. Siberia, 1768.
A. sikkimensis (Sikkimese).* fl.-heads purple; leaflets of involucre linear, acuminate, sub-squarrose. October. l. lanceolate, acuminate, spinosely denticulate; radical ones on longer petioles; cauline ones sessile; corymbs large, of many heads, leafy, erect, glabrous, branched. h. 3ft. Sikkim, 1850.
A. spectabilis (showy).* fl.-heads blue; scales of involucre loose, leafy. August. l. lanceolate, roughish, somewhat amplexicaul; lower ones serrate in the middle. h. 2ft. North America, 1777. A very pretty species.
A. spurius (spurious). fl.-heads purple, large, few; inner scales of involucre coloured. September. l. linear-lanceolate, amplexicaul, polished. Stem virgate, panicled. Branches racemose. h. 4ft. North America, 1789. SYN. A. rubricaule.
A. tardiflorus (late-flowering). fl.-heads blue, numerous. Autumn. l. sessile, serrated, smooth, spathulate-lanceolate, narrowed at base, and bent down towards each side. h. 2ft. North America, 1775.
A. Townshendi (Townshend's). Synonymous with A. Bigelovii.
A. Tradescanti (Tradescant's).* fl.-heads white; involucre imbricated. August. l. lanceolate-sessile, serrated, smooth; branches virgate. Stem round, smooth. h. 3ft. North America, 1633. A. multiflorus is very much like this species, and, perhaps, a mere form thereof, with somewhat smaller flowers and more obovate-oblong leaves.
A. tripolium (Tripoli). Michaelmas Daisy. fl.-heads blue; disk yellow; scales of involucre lanceolate, membranous, obtuse, imbricated. August. l. linear-lanceolate, fleshy, obscurely three-nerved. Stem glabrous, corymbose. h. 2ft. Britain.
FIG. 182. ASTER TURBINELLUS.