Part 43

An alpine plant in dry ground at the higher elevations, among stones and on the moraines, flowering in July.

Soft hairy above, 12—20 inches high. Leaves smooth, thick, bright green, spatulate or nearly ovate, acute or conspicuously bristle-tipped, the uppermost small and bract-like. Heads over 1½ inches in diameter; rays 50—70, purple or violet, ½—¾ of an inch long; disc bright yellow; involucral bracts linear, attenuate and spreading, glandular-hairy.

A most striking violet or purple daisy on moist banks, slopes, and in moist, open woodlands; flowering during July.

Stem simple or branched above, more or less hairy, sometimes roughly so, 6—24 inches high. Leaves smooth, hairy or fringed on the margin with hairs, entire, the basal ones spatulate, obtuse, 2—4 inches long, narrowed into a margined petiole; stem leaves oblong-lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, obtuse or acute, the upper smaller. Heads several or solitary, slender peduncled, ⅓—½ an inch broad; involucre hemispheric, its bracts linear, acute, or rough-hairy; rays 100—150, very narrow, violet-purple or nearly white, ⅓ to nearly half an inch long.

In dry soil in the lower valleys and slopes of the Rockies; flowering in July.

Stems tufted, closely white-hairy from a deep root; simple or branched above, 6—12 inches high. Leaves white-hairy, entire, narrowly oblanceolate or spatulate, obtuse or acutish, 1—3 inches long; stem-leaves linear or linear-oblong, acute or obtuse, the upper gradually shorter. Heads solitary or several, short-peduncled, ⅓—½ an inch broad; involucre hemispheric its bracts lanceolate or linear-oblong acute, white-hairy; rays 40—60, ¼—⅓ of an inch long, white or pinkish.

In dry open places in the Rockies at the lower altitudes, a pretty tufted plant resembling an Aster; flowering during July.

Rough-hairy or somewhat smooth, stems slender, numerous, 3—6 inches high. Leaves crowded on the crowns of the caudex, usually twice ternately parted into linear or spatulate hairy lobes; an inch long or less including the petiole; stem-leaves narrow or scale-like. Flowers solitary at the top of the nearly leafless hairy stem; involucre ¼ of an inch high and nearly ½ an inch in diameter, outer bracts shorter and spreading; rays 40—60, white, purple or violet, from ⅛ to nearly ½ an inch long.

On dry rocks throughout the Rockies up to 6000 feet elevation or above, flowering during June or July.

Erigeron multifidus discoideus (A. Gray.) Rydb., differing from the species in the entire absence of ray flowers and smaller heads, and Erigeron multifidus nudus Rydb., differing from the species in being almost entirely smooth except a few hairs on the petioles and involucral bracts, are found in similar localities throughout the Rockies, often growing with the species and frequently much more abundant.

Ashy-hairy, 3—6 inches high from a tufted caudex. Leaves ovate, spatulate or roundish, an inch or more long, contracted into a petiole; stem leaves ¼ of an inch long, few, and very narrow. Flowers solitary, about ⅓ of an inch high and broad; involucre usually reddish or purplish, covered with woolly hairs; bracts nearly equal, lanceolate, rather loose; rays numerous, ¼—⅓ of an inch long, deep golden yellow.

In open ground on alpine meadows and among rocks, at the higher altitudes, throughout the region; a striking little plant, flowering in July.

Stems few or several, slender, erect, 2—6 inches high, with purplish-black hairs. Leaves numerous, elliptic or narrowly oblong, ¾—1½ inches long, nearly smooth; stem leaves broadly linear, acuminate, ¾—1 inch long, hairiness similar to that of the stem. Head solitary, ⅓ of an inch broad; involucral scales nearly equal, with attenuate tips, densely covered with purplish-black wool; rays 50—60, white or pinkish, ⅛ of an inch long.

In open stony or more or less grassy ground at the high altitudes; flowering during July.

More or less hairy, varying to smooth, 3—18 inches high, simple or branching. Leaves spatulate or lanceolate, obtuse, 1—3 inches long, hairy and entire. Heads ¼ of an inch or more broad, single or several, more or less paniculately disposed; involucre hemispheric, its bracts linear and hairy; rays numerous, very narrow, only slightly exceeding the yellow disc, blue or purple.

In dry stony ground and slopes throughout the region, very variable as to size; flowering during July.

Nearly or quite smooth, 1—2 feet high, usually paniculately branched. Leaves spatulate to lanceolate, acute, rather numerous. Heads on peduncle-like branches, an inch or more long, involucre, ⅓ of an inch or more broad, scales narrowly lanceolate, attenuate and glandular, green; rays numerous and thread-like, pink, but slightly exceeding the disc.

On banks and more or less shaded places at the lower altitudes throughout the Rockies; flowering during July.

Soft-hairy or sometimes nearly smooth, stems slender, mostly branched above, 1—3 feet high. Leaves spatulate or obovate, obtuse or acute, dentate or entire, 1—3 inches long. Heads several or numerous, corymbose-paniculate, ¼—⅓ of an inch broad; involucre depressed hemispheric, its bracts linear with roughened margins; rays 100—150, ¼—⅓ of an inch long, bright rose-colour.

In open grassy and wet places at the lower altitudes, throughout the Rockies; flowering in June and July. This species, the most widely distributed of any member of the genus, is found throughout North America; though locally rare, where found it is usually in great abundance.

Hairy, often much branched from the base, 3—12 inches high. Leaves oblong, spatulate to broadly lanceolate, more or less sharply serrate, an inch or more long. Heads solitary, terminating the stem or branches; involucre broadly campanulate, ¼ of an inch high, shorter than the disc; the bracts narrowly lanceolate, with mostly acute and loose herbaceous tips; rays nearly half an inch long, violet-purple.

In gravelly ground and river bottoms frequent in the region; flowering during July.

Rough, stout, and rigid, 2 feet high. Leaves firm, ovate, oblong, or the lower obovate, acute, 4—6 inches long, 1½—4 inches broad, acutely serrate, reticulate-veiny. Flowers numerous in a broad head, involucre, broadly campanulate, equalling the disc, half an inch high; bracts in several series, minutely glandular, lanceolate, acute, the greenish tips a little spreading; rays ½ an inch long or more, violet.

The most showy of all the Asters, frequent in the Rockies at the lower altitudes, on slides and on gravelly river banks, forming great masses of colour when flowering in late July and early August.

Stem stout, leafy to the summit, densely long-hairy, or rarely smooth, branched above, 2—6 feet high. Leaves rather thin, lanceolate, partly clasping by a narrowed base, acuminate at the apex, sharply serrate with low distant teeth, dark green and lightly hairy above, densely soft-hairy on the veins beneath, 3—5 inches long, ½ to nearly an inch wide. Heads mostly solitary, at the ends of short branches, 1½ inches broad; involucre hemispheric, its bracts little imbricated, green, linear-subulate, densely glandular; rays 35—45 purple, about ½ an inch long.

In moist soil in the valleys of the Selkirks; flowering during August.

Stem usually stout, smooth, or sparingly hairy, 1—3 feet high, branched above. Leaves rather thick, smooth or slightly hairy, especially on the veins, the lower and basal ones heart-shaped at the base, sharply serrate, ovate-acute or acuminate, 2—4 inches long, with slender, naked petioles; upper leaves ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, more or less serrate or entire, sessile or with margined petioles. Heads usually not numerous, ⅓ of an inch or more high; involucre broadly top-shaped; bracts linear-lanceolate, acute, rather loosely imbricated, smooth or nearly so, their tips green, rays 10—20, blue or violet, ¼—½ an inch long; pappus nearly white.

In open places and along the rivers throughout the region; flowering during July and August.