739 
Compositae. Sunflower Family. 
Annual or perennial herbs with usually alternate, sometimes opposite 
leaves, those near the base frequently tufted, differing in shape from those 
on the stem into which they gradually merge. Flowers individually inconspicuous 
but in the aggregate conspicuous or even showy, borne upon a discoid, hemi- 
pherical or conical receptacle, which is the enlarged summit of the peduncle, 
in dense capitate inflorescences called heads, these subtended by one or more 
series of usually overlapping bracts, collectively the involucre, kenee—involue-~ 
~Fal bracts; these bracts commonly green and even leaf-like or again thin and 
papery and variously colored. Corollas characteristically of two kinds: the first, 
tubular below, expanded untlateratty into a flat linear or oblong strap=-shaped 
limb, these called the ray flowers or ray florets, the second, tubular or 
funnelform throughout and regular, being equally 5-lobed at the apex, these 
called the disc florets; a head may consist entirely of flowers of either kind 
alone of, of both, mest-often-ef-the-mixed-condition-with the showy ray florets 
forming a circle! about the usually densely massed i acl RI RAL the two kinds 
generally differing in color, The dise florets may be subtended, by erect scales 
or bristles upon the receptaclg, in which case the receptacle is termed chatty, 
or the bracts or bristles may be wholly absent,in which case the receptacle is 
poceengtaene or the receptacle may be pitted, Ray florets comonly without 
anthers and forming or not forming fertile achenes. Calyx tube wholly coalesced 
with the ovary/ hence completely inferior, the calyx limb lacking or appearing 
in various modifications uyon the summit of the ovary, these modifications called 
collectively the pappus, and consisting of either hair-like bristles or thin 
papery yee which sometimes attenuate into rigid erect spines ( avms or teeth 
eppinnvurn aA 
or sometimes an inconspicuous ridge or rim, es—an—overy—orest, Stamens 5, the 
anthers linear, mostly united by their margins into a slender tube Closely 
ALL tl 
surrounding the style, the filaments distinct, joined to the corolla ,leptsebvelous), 
Style bifid at its swmit, the style branches often stigmatic nearly to their bases, 
