176 
distributing the Composite. Bentham® who carefully revised the 
order for the ‘‘ Genera Plantarum ” after considering all points 
says: ‘‘ The style branches of the hermaphrodite florets afford 
one of the most useful characters for the determination of genera 
and some tribes; but all attempts to take it as absolute have 
hitherto miserably failed, and it must always be considered in 
combination with other characters.” The character of the vena- 
tion of the corolla, used by David Don’ and the differences of the 
achenium used by G. Schultz Bipontinus, were considered of 
great importance by these authors. 
The pappus, which has been used somewhat, is of much great- 
er diagnostic value than the achenium, as it is constant in species 
and in natural genera and tribes. 
The appendages of the anthers, which are attached either to 
the base or the apex in some genera and tribes, are of some value. 
Peculiarities of the corolla also furnish characters which are of 
some importance. 
The styles in different genera of the order, deviate sufficiently 
in structure to enable us to use them for tribal or generic charact- 
ers, and a study of their structure is the subject of this paper. 
The styles of the perfect hermaphrodite flowers of the Com- 
posite are two-branched and furnished with two kinds of hairs, 
viz., stigmatic papilla and brush hairs. The stigmatic papille 
are on the inner face of the style branches, arranged in one line, 
as in Vernonia or Helianthus, or in two lines, as in Helenium or 
Aster, and extend up from the base of the branches to the tip, as 
in Vernonia, or for only a part of the distance, as in Eupatorium 
and Aster. The papillz are usually short, with either an acute or 
obtuse tip, but never acuminate. 
The brush hairs, or collecting hairs as they are sometimes 
called, are arranged in several ways, e. g., in a truncate bunch at 
the tip of the branch, as in Senecio, or along the outer face of the 
branches, extending sometimes below the fork, as in Vernonia, 
and sometimes just to the fork, as in Solidago; or covering both 
faces of the branch above the termination of the stigmatic lines 
as in Aster. The function of the brush hairs is to brush out and 
collect the pollen from the anther tube. 
Je ee 
7 pesmacihe on Composite, 
