72 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST, 



but the3^are so disguised that we do not notice them until 

 expanded into the feathery pappus by means of which each 

 seed at the appointed time sails down the wind. "Flow- 

 ers" like those of the dandelion and sunflower are typical 

 of the great race ol composites but as may now be seen, 

 they are really not single flowers but clusters of flowers. 



The blossom of the dogwood (Cornus Borida) is an- 

 other familiar example of a flower cluster. The four great 

 white petal-like structures that give all the beauty to the 

 dogwood flower — that gives the very name of flowering 

 dogwood to the plant ; as if other species did not flower — 

 are not petals but bracts and more nearly allied to leaves 

 than flowers. In fact, they do dut^^ as bud scales all 

 winter long. Perhaps their flower-like hue later is in pay- 

 ment for work well done. The small affairs that the great 

 bracts have guarded so well are usually mistaken for the 

 stamens and pistils, but are really separate flow^ers. 



Something of a similar nature is found in the skunk's- 

 cabbage, Jack-in-the-pulpit, wild calla, green dragon and, 

 in fact, the whole arum familj^ where the most noticeable 

 part of the flower is in the nature of an enfolding bract. 

 To find the true flow^ers of skunk 's-cabbage examine the 

 round head in the middle of the shell-like spathe; to find 

 those of wild calla, search the cylindric object which the 

 spathe tries to enfold. 



The members of the great spurge family {Euphorbia) 

 are w^orse off in the matter of flowers than most plants, 

 for the male flowers consist of single stamens. The female 

 flow^ers are somewhat more conspicuous but they are 

 round little bodies at the top of a short stalk and are cer- 

 tainly not flowers in the popular sense. But when several 

 male flowers are grouped about a female flower and sur- 

 rounded by a calyx-like involucre it has not a little resem- 

 blance to a simple flower. Some species also add embel- 

 lishments in the way of colored glands and bracts. In the 

 plant known to florists as Poinsettia the bracts near the 

 flowering parts are bright scarlet and by many are as- 

 sumed to be petals. The tropics afford many more won- 



