ASTER, in botany, st.rwort. Class, Syngenesia Polygarnia Stiperflua. Gen. char. cal. common, imbricate, the inner scales prominent a little at the end, low er ones spreading ; cor. compound, radi ate; corollules hermaphrodite, numerous in the disk ; females more than 10 in the ray ; proper of the hermaphro dite, funnel-shaped, with a five-cleft spreading border : of the female ligulate lanceolate, three-toothed, at lengths roll ing back; stain. hermaphrolite • filaments five ; capillary very short ; anthers cylin dric, tubtdous; pist. germ oblong; style filiform, the length of the stamens; stig ma bifid, spreading; females, germ and style the same ; stigmas two, oblong re volute ; per. non€ ; calyx scarcely chang ed; seeds solitary, oblong, ovate ; down capillary ; rec. naked, flattish. The spe cies from the Cape, together with those not producing seeds in England, are pro pagated by cuttings, any time during the summer. These should be planted in small pots, filled with light earth, and plunged in an old hot-bed, where, if they are shaded from the sun, and gently watered, they will put out roots in six weeks, when they may be placed in the open air; and in about a month after wards they should be separated, each in a small pot, and filled with light sandy earth. lit October they must be removed into the green-house, and placed where they may enjoy as much free air as possi ble, but be secured from frostsor damps ; so that they are much easier preserved in a glass case, where they will have more light and air than in a green-house ; but they must not be placed in a stove, for artificial heat will soon destroy the plants. The North American species, which make at least three-fifths of the genus, together with the Alpine and Italian asters, are easily propagated by parting the roots in autumn ; they are most of them hardy, and will thrive in al most any soil and situation ; for these rea sons, and because they adorn the latter season with the abundance and variety of their spacious flowers, they are valuable plants, especially among shrubs, and in large ornamental plantations, properly mixed with golden rods, and other pe rennial, autumnal, hardy plants. The
sorts most cultivated are, the grandiflorus .linifolius, linarifolius, tenuifolius, ericoi des, dumosus, serotinus, alpinus, novx anglim, and punicius, or altissimus. Some of the species prefer a shady situation and moist soil. They are apt to spread very • much at the roots, so as to he trouble- some, and the seeds of some are blown about, and come up like weeds. The Italian starwort has not been so much cul tivated in England, since the great varie ty of American species has been intro duced, though it is by no means inferior ; to the best of them. It is propagated by parting the roots soon after the plant is out of flower. The roots should not be removed oftener than every third year. Catesby's starwort, not multiplying fast by its roots, may be propagated in plenty by cuttings from the young shoots in May, which, if planted in light earth, and shaded from the sun, will flower the same year. When the Italian starwort is once d introduced, the seeds will scatter, and the plants come up without care. The China aster, being an annual plant, is propagat ed by seeds, which most be sown in the spring, on a warm border, or rather on a gentle hot-bed, just to bring up the plants. The North American species enumerated by Muhlenberg are 79 in number, and two doubtful, on the authority of Donn. Pursh describes 78 species.