closely imbricated, with rather short, but conspicuous, squarrose or reflexed
herbaceous tips. Rays large, thrice the length of the involucre, blue or
vioiet. Achenia narrow and slender, many-striate, somewhat shorter than
the rather rigid (brownish or ferruginous) unequal pappus; the innermost
bristles of which are manifestly thickened towards the apex. Appendages
of the style subulate-lanceolate, and at length recurved or reflexed, as in
Biotia. This very interesting species furnishes additional evidence of the
propriety of re-uniting Biotia with Aster; being exactly intermediate in character
and appearance between that group and our subgenus Calliastrum.
We have received it only from Professor Gibbes of Charleston, South Carolina,
who collected it at Columbia in the year 1835. The Biotia commixta,
a plant of unknown origin cultivated in the European gardens, which is said
to have a squarrose involucre, has (fide descr. Nees,) oblong-lanceolate and
partly clasping upper leaves, a very compound corymb, glutinous pubescence,
and an involucre resembling Aster macrophyllus, as long as the disk; the
scales oblong-lanceolate, acute, &c. &c.—This species should be placed at
the commencement of the section Calliastrum, before A. Radula.
§ 3. Aster proper, Subdiv. Concinni, p. 115.
131. A. gradlentus : very smooth and glabrous throughout; stem slender,
strict, simple, loosely paniculate or somewhat corymbose at the summit;
cauline leaves linear, elongated, with very scabrous margins, slightly clasping,
acute or acuminate; the lower coarsely toothed or incised above thé
middle, the upper entire; those of the branches and branchlets very small
and numerous, erect, linear-subulate ; scales of the obovoid involucre (much
shorter than the disk) closely imbricated in 3 or 4 series, appressed, lanceolate,
acute ; the exterior very short; achenia glabrous.
Lincolnton, North Carolina, Mr. M. A . Curtis /—Stem rigid, purple, 2-3
feet high, branching only at the summit; the branches and branchlets slender,
spreading, terminated by solitary heads,\which are smaller than in most
states of A. bevis. Lower (cauline) leaves 5-6 inches long, about 3 lines
wide, 1-nerved, obscurely reticulate-veined, somewhat shining above, pale
beneath, rather rigid, furnished towards the apex on each side with 3 or 4 very
coarse and spreading irregular teeth, or appearing somewhat pinnately incised:
upper cauline similar, but successively shorter, and entire. Involucre very
short; the green tips small and inconspicuous ; the exterior lanceolate-subulate
; the inner larger, lanceolate-linear, less acute, often tinged with purple.
Rays about twice the length of the disk, blue or violet. Ovaries minutely
pubescent, but the achenia perfectly smooth and glabrous, similar to those of
A. las vis, &c.—"We have described this species from a single specimen,
which is however so remarkable that it is scarcely liable to be confounded
with any other.
27. ERIGERON. Linn. (excl. spec.); Nutt. gen. 2. p. 146.
Erigeron, Stenactis, & Phalacroloma, D C.; and also Polyactidium 1 & Heterochasta 1
Heads mostly hemispherical, many flowered; the ray-flowers very numerous
and usually in more than one series, pistillate; those of the disk tubular,
perfect; or some of the exterior (rather transformed ray-flowers) filiform-
tubular and truncate, pistillate. Scales of the involucre mostly equal, narrow,
in a single or somewhat double series. Receptacle flat, naked, punctate
or scrobiculate. Appendages of the style very short and obtuse. Achenia
compressed, usually pubescent, commonly with 2 lateral nerves. Pappus a
single series of capillary scabrous bristles, rather few (12-30) in number,
often with minute sette intermixed or forming an indistinct outer series, or
sometimes, with a distinct and short, squamellate-subulate or setaceous (or
somewhat coroniform) exterior pappus ; the inner rarely wanting in the ray.
Herbs, or rarely sufFrutescent plants; with entire, toothed, or lobed leaves.
Heads solitary, corymbose, or paniculate. Rays white, blue, or purple.
It appears to us impossible to effect generic divisions among these plants, by
characters derived from the single or double series of rays, or from the Simple or
double pappus, or by any combination of these. The characters of our sections,
or subgenera, exhibit the diversities which the North American species present in
these respects. As a whole, the genus is distinguished from Diplopappus by the
very short and obtuse appendages of the style, the nearly simple involucre, and the
naked receptacle: the same characters also distinguish it from Aster; but the Alpi-
genous Asters almost connect the two genera.
§ 1. Rays in several series, shorter than the involucre: pappus simple : achenia
2-nerved: corolla of the disk mostly 4-toothed: annual or biennial
herbs: heads very small, cylindrical.—C ^ notus, Nutt.
1. E. Canadense (Linn.): stem erect, hispid, or sometimes nearly glabrous,
paniculately very much branched above; leaves lanceolate-linear,
mostly entire, hispidly ciliate; heads small, very numerous, corymbose-paniculate
or somewhat racemosely disposed on the branchlets; rays (white)
scarcely longer than the pappus ; achenia oblong, sparsely hispid.—Linn. !
spec. 2.jo. 863 ; FI. Dan. t. 292; Michx. ! fl. 2. p. 123 ; Nutt.! gen. 2. p.
148 ; Hook. ! fl,. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 20 ; Darlingt.! fl. Cest. p. 471; DC .!
prodr. 5. p. 289. E. pusillum, Nutt.! 1. c. (a depauperate form.) Senecio
ciliatus, Walt.
Fields and waste or open places, Canada! and Saskatchawan! throughout
the United States ! to Texas! and in Oregon ! Also apparently indigenous
to almost every part of the world, and naturalized in Europe. July-Oct.__
A common weed, very variable in size (from 5 inches to 5 feet) and mode of
growth. Involucre at first cylindrical, at length spreading. Liguje of the
ray many times shorter than the tube. Corolla of the disk (perhaps always ?)
4-toothed. Radical leaves often pinnately incised or lobed__Horse-weed.
Butter-weed.
2. E. divaricatum (Michx.): decumbent, diffuse, and very much branched,
the branchlets fastigiate, strigose-hirsute and often somewhat hispid ; leaves
linear or subulate; heads small, loosely paniculate-corvmbose; rays (purple)
not longer than the pappus; achenia oblong, almost glabrous.—Michx.! fl. 2.
p. 123; Pursh ! fl. 2. p. 534; Nutt. 1. c. ; DC. 1. c.
Throughout the "Western States, from Illinois! and Upper Missouri! to
Louisiana ! along the Mississippi; in similar situations with the preceding,
flowering during the whole summer.—Plant rarely exceeding 6 inches in
height, but very diffuse, at length spreading out one or two feet in width.
§ 2. Rays crowded or in two or more series, longer than the involucre : pappus
simple or sometimes with minute setae intermixed or forming an indistinct
external series: achenia 2-nerved: mostly perennial.—E u erigeron.
(Euerigeron & Trimorphsea, DC. excl. spec.)
* Ccespitose acmlescenb {chiefly alpine') species: scapes bearing a single head: leaves
mostly 3-cleft or divided: pistillate flowers all ligulate.
3. E . composilum (Pursh): canescently hirsute ; leaves on long petioles,
1-3-ternately divided or parted; the ultimate segments linear, obtuse; scapes