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ASTER TRIPOLIUM. SEA-SIDE STARWORT.
ASTER Tripolium ; herbaceus, corymbosus, foliis lanceolatis sub intcgerrimis carnosis glabris (siccitate
obscure tri- quinque-nerviis), involucro squatnis submembranaceis obtusis imbricatis.
ASTER Tripolium. Linn. Sp. P l.p . 1226. Huds. Angl. p. 368. Lightf. Scot. p . 482. With. Bot.
A rr. ed. 4. vol. 3. p. 710. Fl. Dan. t. 615. Hoffm. Germ. ed. 2. vol. 1. P . II. p . 147.
JVilld. Sp. PI. vol. 3. p. 2039. Smith Fl. Brit. p. 888. Engl. Bot. t. 87. Decand. Fl. Fr.
ed. 3. vol. 4. p. 145. Fl. Gall. Syn. p. 280. Pers. Syn. PI. vol. 2 , p . 445. Aiton Hort.
Kew. ed. 2 . vol. 5. p . 58. Hook. Fl. Scot. P . I. p. 244.
ASTER maritimus cteruleum Tripolium dictus. Sea Starwort, the greater and lesser. Raii Syn. p. 175.
Dan. Strandstjerneurt. Dut. Zoutwaters Sterrebloem. Fr. L ’Astère maritime. Germ, D e r Meer-,
aster. It. &c. Astero maritimo. Swed. Strandstjernört.
Class a nd Ouder. SYNGENESIA POLYGAMIA SUPERFLUA.
[Natural Ord e r . COMPOSITIE, Div. CORYMBOS2E, Decand., Hook, CORYMBOSE, Juat.\
Ge n . Ciia r . Receptaculum nudum. Pappus simplex. Involucrum imbricatum, squamis inferioribus patulis;
(vix in A. Tripolio). Flosculi radii plures quam decem.
Ge n . Cha r. Receptacle naked. Pappus simple. Involucre imbricated, its lowermost scales spreading (except
in A. Tripolium). Florets o f the ray more than ten.
Radix perennis, e fibris numerosis albis flexuosis sim-
plicibus vel ramosis.
Caulis pedalis ad bi-tripedalem, erectus, teres, herbaceus,
sulcatus, fistulosus, superne plerumque
valde ramosus.
Folia lineari-lanceolata, acutiuscula, carnosa ; siccitate
subtriquinquenervia, basi semiamplexicaulia, in-
feriora magis lanceolata, basi in petiolum atte-
nuata.
Flores ad extremitates caulis ramorumque, uumerosi,
speciosi, subcorymbosi.
Peduncul i pedicellique foliolosi.
I nvolucrum ovato-cylindraceum, e squamis plurimis,
omnibus erectis, imbricatis, ovato-lanceolatis, obtusis,
viridibus, margine submembranaceis, et
non raro rubedine tinctis.
Receptaculum nudum, papillatum, papillis centro
pro receptione flosculorum punctatis.
Flosculi radii (quandoque déficientes) pallide purpu-
rei, foeminei, ligulati ; tubo flavo ; ligula lineari,
patente, bidentato : disci flavi, tubulcfci, apice
quinquefidi, segmentis recurvis.
Stamina quinque; Filamenta intrafaucem corollæ in-
serta: Antheræ exsertæ, flavæ.
Pistillum : Germen oblongum, viride, pubescens:
Stylus filiformis : Stigma bifidum, segmentis li-
nearibus, incurvis.
Pe r ica rpia (Achenia) oblongo-ovata, fusca, hispida ;
Pappo sessili albo, simplici coronata.
Semina oblonga, fusca, ltevia.
Fig. 1 . Tubular floret. Fig. 2. Floret o f the circumft
Fig. 4. Two heads of seeds, j
Root perennial, consisting of numerous white flexuose
simple or branched fibres.
Stem from one to three feet high, erect, rounded, herbaceous,
furrowed, hollow, generally very much
branched above.
L eaves linear-lanceolate, rather acute, fleshy, when dry
appearing from three- to. five-nerved, semiam-
plexicaul, the lowest more lanceolate, with their
bases attenuated into a petiole.
Flowers numerous, borne upon the summits of the
stem and branches, subcorymbose, showy.
P eduncles and pedicels leafy.
I nvolucre ovato-cylihdraceous, composed of manyirm
bricated scales, all of which are erect, ovato-
lanceolate, obtuse, green, their margins submem-
branaceous, not unfrequently tinged with red.
Receptacle naked, papillose, having the papilla excavated
a t the top for the reception of the
florets.
Florets of the ray (sometimes wanting) of a pale purple,
female, ligulate; the tube yellow; the ligule
linear, spreading, bidentate: those o f the disc
yellow, tubulose, quinquefid at the apex, the
segments recurved.
Stamens five: the Filaments inserted within the mouth
of the corolla: Anthers exserted, yellow.
P is t il : Germen oblong, green, downy; Style filiform;
Stigma bifid, its segments linear, incurved.
Pericarps (Akenia) between oblong and ovate, brown,
hispid; crowned with a sessile, while, simple
pappus.
Seeds oblong, brown, smooth.
rence. Fig. 3. Section of the involucre and receptacle.
'ig. 5. Pericarp. Fig. "6. Seed.
. Numerous as are the species of Aster or Starwort found in other countries, especially in North America, there
is but one that can be reckoned a native of Britain; and this is confined to salt marshes in the neighbourhood of
the sea, and by the edges of saline rivers, where it is indeed sufficiently plentiful; or it is found more rarely in
saline pastures in the inland parts of the country, as in some spots in Staffordshire.
The specimen here represented was gathered in the neighbourhood of Yarmouth, where it is extremely abundant,
bearing its not inelegant flowers from August till the beginning of October, when the plant becomes still more conspicuous
by its innumerable heads of seed vessels covered with white down.
This species received the appellation of Tripolium from the old botanists, as Dioscorides tells us, because it
changed the colour of its flowers three times a day, being at first white, then blue, and finally crimson. Old Ge-
rarde boldly affirmeth that “ this is not true.” It is however very true that the hue of the blossoms is extremely
variable, the florets of the ray being sometimes pure white, as we have gathered it near Yarmouth, sometimes a
pale or bright blue, or, as is here represented, purple or lilac; to this may be added, that the ray is at times entirely
wanting, and then the whole flower is yellow.
Were it not for the yellow ligulate florets which are seen in Solidago, (and the ligulate flowers o f Aster are never
yellow,) this genus would be with difficulty distinguished from it. With regard to the character of the lower scales
ot the involucre being spread open, this circumstance does not exist in the A. Tripolium, for the scales on that part
are as closely appressed as those on the upper part.
195