[a. L. aster, a. Gr. ἀστήρ star.]

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  † 1.  A star. Obs. as Eng.

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1603.  Florio, Montaigne, I. xxi. (1632), 47. The revolutions … and carrols of the asters and planets.

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1706.  [see 2].

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  2.  Bot. A large genus of the N.O. Compositæ, with showy radiated flowers, of which the N. American species are especially numerous. The only indigenous British species is the Sea Starwort or Michaelmas Daisy (A. Tripolium).

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1706.  Phillips, Aster, a Star; also the Herb Star-wort, Spare-wort, or Cod-wort.

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a. 1761.  Mrs. Delany, Autobiog. (1861), III. 507. A little pale purple Aster with a yellow thrum.

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1864.  Bryant, Autumn Walk, iii. And the purple aster waves In a breeze from the land of battles.

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  3.  China Aster: a flower (Callistephus chinensis) allied to and resembling the asters proper.

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1794.  Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xxvi. 392. Chinese Aster is an annual plant, with ovate angular leaves.

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1859.  Jephson, Brittany, xvi. 268. A fine show of China asters in full bloom.

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