d 
C 
46 COMPOSIT# (Harv.) 
their ray-flowers either female or neuter. Some heads are moneecious; when, on the 
same root, the heads are diverse, some containing only male flowers, others only 
female. And some are diccious (asin Brachylena and Tarchonanthus); when, on 
different roots, male and female flower-heads occur. And lastly, a head is hetero- 
monecious, if the marginal flowers be female, the disc-flowers completely male, with 
abortive stigmas (as in Osteospermum, Othonna, &.) Some heads are glomerulate, or 
aggregated in a glomerule: this is when a number of small heads (each with its 
proper involucre) are crowded together on a common receptacle, surrounded by @ 
general involucre. A compownd-head is thus formed (as in Spheranthus and (dera). 
Flowers.—The corolla is either tubular, equally 4~5-toothed ; filiform, or thread- 
shaped, and usually truncate ; ligulate or strap-shaped, one-sided ; or bilabiate, i.e., 
ligulate with a minute lobe or pair of lobes opposite the strap-shaped limb. : 
Pappus.—This term is given to the limb of the calyx, which takes a great variety 
offorms. I+ is usually an important generic character, and therefore to be closely 
attended to. Though the pappus exists when the flowers first open, it frequently 
enlarges after flowering, and is therefore best observed on the mature or nearly ma- 
ture ovary. It is either paleaceous, formed of flat scales; setaceous, of slender bristles ; 
plumose or feathered, when the bristles are plumed, like a feather, with slender hairs ; 
barbed, when the bristles are set with short processes or imperfect plumes ; it is tooth- 
like when formed of a definite number of small teeth ; coroniform, or crown-shaped, 
when the teeth are partly confluent; and annular, or like a ring. An ovary is said_ 
to be calvous, or bald, when there is no obvious pappus. 
Anthers.—It is often of importance to examine the anthers, in order to observe 
whether they are tailed, ic., produced at base, on each side of the filament, into a 
bristle-shaped point ; or tailless i.e., rounded or truncate at base. Tailed anthers 
alone separate the Gnaphalice (everlastings) from other Senecionideew ; and Inulew 
from other Asteroideze. © When they occur, they are always of systematic value. 
Style.—When the ovary contains an ovule, the style is constantly 2-lobed, or at 
least 2-toothed at the extremity ; its lobes are called ‘* style-branches.”” When the 
ovary is abortive, the style is, with a few exceptions, quite simple or unbranched. 
In the i t of the Composite the style-branches afford characters 
of the highest value, and therefore must be closely and carefully observed by the 
student, either with a strong pocket lens or a simple microscope. The Tribes, except 
the Cichoracee, into which the Order is divided, are solely distinguished by certain 
characters of the style-branches, as indicated in the Table annexed. Unless these 
distinctions are mastered by the student, he will find it impossible to proceed in the 
study of Composite; but, in most cases, the distinctions are easily seen, if carefully 
looked for, and then what follows is comparatively easy. He must bear in mind, 
however, that, for systematic purposes, it is the style of bisexual or perfect flowers 
which affords the indicated characters : the styles of male flowers being usually simple, 
and those of exclusively female flowers, though branched, having similar branches 
in all the Tribes. A difficulty, therefore, exists in the classification of such plants 
as Osteospermum, Othonna, &c.in which there are no bisexual flowers. Having no 
certain guide to follow in their flowers, we are forced to place them next those genera 
to which, by their general aspect, they appear nearest of kin. 
Achenium or Achene—This is the name applied to the small, seedlike nut or fruit 
of the Composite. It often affords generic characters in its shape and markings. 
Thus it may be cylindrical, angular, flattened, winged, &c.; or it may be glabrous, 
hairy, woolly ; smooth, scabrous, granulated, echinated, &c. In some it is prolonged 
into a tapering or thickened point, when it is said to be beaked. It is usually sessile 
on the receptacle, but is sometimes (as in Cotula) raised on a short pedicel. 
TABLE OF THE TRIBES. 
*Tubuliflore. Heads either discoid or radiate ; the disc flowers tubular, regular, 
4-5-toothed. 
Sp 
SERRE owe nee 
_Tribe t. Vernontace2... Style-branches long, much exserted, filiform, acute, equally oY 
or bristly on the outer surface.—Heads always discoid. Leaves 
(Gen. 1-6.)  A47_ 
Tribe 2, Evparortacea. Style-branches long, much exserted, terete, obtuse oF 
