SUN-FLOWER. 348 



other cliaractcrs in the flowers so as to form tlie 

 bases of subdivision. For this purpose Linna?us 

 adopted the polygamy, or intermixture of the sexes 

 in the florets. 



The characters of the class Syngenesia being of 

 a decidedly different nature from other flowers may 

 be easily known. It consists, first, in the congene- 

 ration of the anthers, which is uniform through all 

 its numerous genera ; and, secondly, that more than 

 one floret is always contained in each calyx ; this is 

 sufficient to determine any plant to belong to the 

 19th class, Syngenesia. 



The Sun-flower, more particularly the single one, 

 presents you with a clear idea of the class and order 

 to which it belongs, since you see the parts on a 

 large scale. The common receptacle supporting 

 all the numerous florets on its surface, each of these 

 florets are^ in fact, a separate monopctalous flower, 

 having within itself the parts necessary for the for- 

 mation of seed. 



These numerous florets arc surrounded by a ray 

 of petals, whose office is to protect the whole of the 

 interior assemblage of flowers, as the houses of a 

 city are surrounded by a wall. This flower is 

 placed in the third order or division of the class 

 Syngenesia, and which order is named Polygamia 

 Frustranea, because the florets of the margin next 

 the petals are neuter, that is, containing neither 



