ASTER Tripolium; herbaceus, corymbosus, foliis lanceolatis sqb integerrimis carnosis glabris (siccitate
obscure tri- quinque-nerviis), involucro squamis submembranaceis obtusis imbricatis.
ASTER Tripolium. Linn. Sp. P l.p . 1226. Huds. A n g h p . 368. Light/. Scot. p. 482. With. Bot.
A rr. ed. 4. ml. 3. p. 710. FI. Dan. t. 615.' Hoffm. Germ. ed. 2. ml. 1. P . II. p. 147.
JVilld. Sp. PI. ml. 3. p. 2039. Smith Ft. B rit. p. 888. Engl. Bot. t. 87. Decand. FI. Fr.
ed. 3. ml. 4. p. 145. FI. GalLSyn. p. 280. Pers. Syn. PI. ml. 2. p. 445. Aiton Hort.
Kew. ed. 2. ml. 5.p. 58. Hook. FI. Scot. P . I. p. 244.
ASTER maritimus casruleuin Tripolium dictus. Sea Starwort, the greater and lesser. Raii Syn. p. 175.
Dan. Strandstjerneurt. Dut. Zoutwaters Sterrebloem. Fr. HAsthre maritime. Germ. De r Meer-
aster. It. &c. Astero maritimo. Swed. Strandstjemort.
C lass a n d Or d e r . SYNGENESIA POLYGAMIA SUPERFLUA.
[N a tu r a l O r d e r . COMPOSITÆ, Div. CORYMBOSÆ, Decand., Hook. CORYMBOSÆ, Juts.]
G e n . Ch a r . Receptaculum nudum. Pappus simplex. Inmlucrum imbricatum, squamis inferioribus patulis;
(vix in A . Tripolio). Flosculi radii plures quam decern.
G e n . Ch a r . Receptacle naked. Pappus simple. Involucre imbricated, its lowermost scales spreading (except
in A. Tripolium). Florets o f the r.ay more than ten.
Ra d ix perennis, e fibris numerosis albis flexuosis sim-
plicibus vel ramosis.
C AU Lis pedalis ad bi-tripedalem, erectus, teres, herbaceus,
sulcatus, fistulosus, superne plerumque
valde ramosus.
Folia linean-lanceolata, acutiuscula, carnosa ; siccitate
subtriquinquenervia, basi semiamplexicaulia, in-
feriora magis lanceolata, basi in petiolum atte-
nuata.
F lores ad extremitates caulis ramorumque, numerosi,
speciosi, subcorymbosi.
P e d u n c u l i pedicellique foliolosi.
I nvolucrum ovato-cylindraceum, e squamis plurimis,
omnibus erectis, imbricatis, ovato-lanceolatis, obtusis,
viridibus, margine submembranaceis, et
non raro rubedine tinctis.
Recepta culum 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, tubulosi, apice
quinquefidi, segmentis recurvis.
St am in a quinque ; Filamenta intra faucem corollas in-
serta: Antheræ exsertæ, flavæ.
P istil lum : Germen oblongum, viride, pubescens:
Stylus filiformis : Stigma bifidum, segmentis li-
nearibus, incurvis.
P e r ic a r p ia ( Achenid) oblongo-ovata, fusca, hispida ;
Pappo sessili albo, simplici coronata.
Sem in a oblonga, fusca, lævia.
Fig. 1. Tubular floret. Fig. 2. Floret of the circumfe
Fig. 4. Two heads of seeds. .
Root perennial, consisting o f numerous white flexuose
simple or branched fibres.
Stem from one to three feet high, erect, rounded, herbaceous,
furrowed, hollow, generally very much
branched above.
Leaves 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 o f the
stem and branches, subcorymbose, showy.
P e d u n c l e s and pedicels leafy.
Involucr e ovato-cylindraceous, composed o f many imbricated
scales, all o f which are erect, ovato-
lanceolate, obtuse, green, their margins submem-
branaceous, not unfrequently tinged with red.
R ecepta cle naked, papillose, having the papilla excavated
a t the top for the reception o f the
florets.
Florets o f the ray (sometimes wanting) o f 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.
Stam e n s 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.
Pe r ic a r p s (Akenia) between oblong and ovate, brown,
hispid; crowned with a sessile, white, simple
pappus.
Seed s oblong, brown, smooth.
renee. 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.” I t 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 a t 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 of Aster are never
yellow,) this genus would be with difficulty distinguished from it. With regard to the character of the lower scales
of 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.