344 FLORA lilSTORICA. 



Stigma nor anthers — which is expressed by the 

 term Trustranea, from fnistra, to no purpose. The 

 florets of tlie disk or centre of the flower are bisexual, 

 containing a pistil headed by a divided stigma, 

 termed bipartic, which is surrounded by five 

 anthers. Each of these florets is succeeded by a 

 seed ; and so numerous arc the florets in a large 

 sino'le Sun-flower, that Barchin tells us he has 

 known them contain 2362 seeds in one flower. 

 The more double this flower becomes the less seed 

 it produces, as it becomes double by the change of 

 the tubular into ligular florets, like the petals in 

 the ray, only smaller. 



The seeds of the Sun-flower when peeled have a 

 taste similar to sweet almonds, and from their oily 

 nature they are excellent food for fattening domes- 

 tic poultry ; but it is with difficulty they can be 

 preserved from the ravages of the sparrovr, who 

 cats them with the greatest avidity, leaving the re- 

 ceptacle like an empty honeycomb. 



In the United States of America the Sun-flower 

 is cultivated on a large scale, for the purpose of 

 preparing oil from the seeds, which is good-tasted, 

 and fit for salads, and all the purposes for vvhieh 

 olive-oil is used. The whole plant, and particularly 

 the flower, exudes a thin, pellucid, odorous resin, 

 resembling Venice turpentine. 



For ornamental purposes the seed should be 



