32. Aster Tardiflorus L. Northeastern Aster

Fig. 4313

Aster .ardiflorus L. Sp. Pl. Ed. 2, 1231. 1763.

Aster patulus Lam. Encycl. 1: 308. 1783.

Stem glabrous, slightly pubescent, or villous, corymbosely branched near the summit, 1°-3° high. Leaves lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, or ovate-lanceolate, serrate with low teeth, or some of them entire, acuminate at the apex, narrowed into a slightly clasping base, or the lower into winged petioles, glabrous or nearly so on both sides, rough-ish-margined, 3'-6' long, 4"-10" wide; heads about 1' broad, not very numerous, involucre hemispheric, its bracts often 6" long, acute, somewhat unequal; rays 20-30, violet; pappus nearly white; achenes pubescent.

Along streams, New Brunswick to Pennsylvania. Aug.-Oct.

33. Aster Prenanthoides Muhl. Crooked-Stem Aster

Fig. 4314

A. prenanthoides Muhl.; Willd. Sp. Pl. 3: 2046. 1804.

Aster prenanthoides porrectifolius Porter, Mem. Torr. Club 5: 326. 1894.

Stem glabrous, or pubescent in lines above, flexuous, much branched, 1°-2° high. Leaves thin, oblong to ovate-lanceolate, or lanceolate, sharply and coarsely serrate, scabrous above, glabrous or nearly so beneath, 3'-8' long, 9"-18" wide, acuminate at the apex, abruptly narrowed below into a broad margined entire petiole, the base auriculate-clasping; heads usually numerous, 1'broad or more; involucre hemispheric, its bracts linear, acute, green, spreading, imbricated in 3 or 4 series, the outer shorter; rays 20-30, violet, 4"-6" long; pappus tawny; achenes pubescent.

In moist soil, Massachusetts to Minnesota, Virginia, Kentucky and Iowa. Aug.-Oct.

Aster schistdsus Steele, of West Virginia, is intermediate in characters between this species and A. Lowrieanus Porter, and may be a hybrid.

34. Aster Laevis L. Smooth Aster

Fig. 4315

Aster laevis L. Sp. Pl. 876. 1753.

Aster laevis amplifolius Porter, Mem. Torr. Club 5:

324. 1894. Aster laevis potomacensis Burgess; Britt. & Brown, 111. Fl. 3: 369. 1898.

Stem usually stout, glabrous, often glaucous, 2°-4° high, branched or simple. Leaves thick, entire, or serrate, glabrous, slightly rough-margined, the upper all sessile and usually cordate-clasping, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, oblanceolate or ovate, acute or obtusish, 1'-4 long, 4"-2' wide, the basal and lower gradually narrowed into winged petioles, those of the branches often small and bract-like; heads usually numerous, about 1' broad; involucre campanulate, its bracts rigid, acute, appressed, green-tipped, imbricated in several series; rays 15-30, blue or violet; pappus tawny; achenes glabrous or nearly so.

Usually in dry soil, Maine to Ontario, Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, Saskatchewan, Missouri and Colorado. Races differ in leaf-form. Sept.-Oct.