310 LXXV. COMPOSITE. 



tivated for the use of the clothiers {fidloimvi), who employ the heads -vrith their 

 hard hooked scales to raise the nap upon woollen cloths. For this purpose 

 they are fixed around the circumference of a revolving drum. Flowers in July. % 



2. SCABIOSA. 

 Lat. scabies, leprosy ; plants said to be useful in cutaneous diseases. 



Flowers in heads ; inTolucre many-leaved ; involucel nearly cylin- 

 drical, with 8 little excavations ; calyx limb consisting of 5 setae, 

 sometimes partially abortive. — % Large, mostly European herbs with 

 opposite leaves. 



1. S. succisA. DeviVs-bU.—Rt. pre morse ; stem Ivs. remotely toothed; Jids, 

 offis. nearly globose ; cor. in 4 equal segments.— In gardens, though rarely cul- 

 tivated. The stem is about If high. Corolla violet, f 



2. S. ATROPURPUREA. Mouruing Bride.— Lis. pinnatiM and incised; hds. of 

 fls. radiant ; receptacle cylindric ; outer crown of the seed, short, lobed and crenate.— 

 A beautilul species, 2— 4f high, with dense heads of dark purple flowers, f 



Order LXXV. COMPOSITE.— Asterworts. 



Plants herbaceous or shrubby. . , , , r i, j- j j 



Lvs. alternate or opposite, without stipules, simple though often much dl^^ded. . , „ - 



Fls. collected into a dense head (capitulum), upon a common receptacle, surrounded by an involucre OX 



Cal. closely adlierent to the ovary, the limo wanting, or membranaceous and divided into bristles, hairs, 



6i.c.,ca[\eA pappus. ,. , . . u i 



Car. superior, consisting of 5 united petals, either ligulate or tubular. 



Sm. 5, alternate with the lobes of the corolla, 4n?/j. cohering into a cylinder .u-, ♦• .v,o» 



Ova inferior, l-celled, l-ovuled. Style 2-cleU, the inner margins ol the branches occupied by the stigmaa. 

 Fr. an achenia, dry, indehiscent, 1-seeded, crowned with the pappus. 



This is the most extensive and most natural of all the orders of the vegetable kingdom, always distin- 

 guished at sight by the capitate flowers and the united anthers It comprehends 1005 genera (at Present 

 known, 1846)! and about 9000 species ; being nearly one-ninth of all the species of flowering p ants. The 

 generaf inflorescence is centrihigal, thatis, the central o.- terminal heads are ^^st developed, v%-^^^^^^^^^ 

 inflorescence of the heads is centripetal, the outer flowers hrst e.xpanding. In color the flowers are vari- 

 ous ; sometimes those of the disk and ray are of ditterent colors, again they are all of the same, but in the 

 forrner case the disk florets are almost always yellow. , , , , ■ ^■a■ * .• „_ 



Tliis immense order is diflused throughout all countries of the globe, but in very diflerent proportions. 

 Accordine to Humboldt, they constitute about one-seventh of the Phaniogamous Flora of Germany, one- 

 eighth ofFrance, one-fifteenth, of Lapland, one-sixth, of North America (north of Mexico) and one-half, 

 of Tropical America. In New Holland they are in the proportion of about one-si.xteenth, according to 

 Brown while in the island of Sicily they are one-half The Liguliflora; are said to be most abur.dant in 

 cold regions, and the Tubulifloraj in hot regions. The Labiatifloraj are almost exclusively conhned to 

 South America. In the northern parts of the world the Composite are universally herbaceous, but towards 

 the tropics they gradually become frutesceiit and even trees. In Chih they are generally shrubs, and on 

 Ihe island of St. Helena they are trees. 



Properties, d-c— The Composita> furnish comparatively few useful products. A bitter principle per- 

 vades the whole, which, when combined with resin and astringent mucilage, becomes tonic iindfebnju- 

 eal as in the camomile, colt's-fbot, thoroughwort, goldenrod, &c. Some are anthelmintics from the 

 orevalence of the resinous principle, as tansey, Artemisia. Venionia. Others are aromatic and extremely 

 bitter, as wormwood and all the species of Artemisia. Other species are very acrid, as mayweed The 

 Jeru.salem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), the vegetable oyster (Iragopogon). the true artichoke 

 (Cviiara) lettuce, dandelion and a few others, are the only species useful tor food. Phe order abounds m 

 ornamental plants of the highest interest to the florist, and of easy culture. Among these are the splen- 

 did Dahliits and Chinese Cbry.santhema, with the numerous progeny ot Aster, Helianthus, Xeranthemum, 

 Coreopsis and multitudes of others, constituting the richest ornaments of the autumnal flower garden 



The inflorescence of the Composite is peculiar, and its real nature often connplex and obscure, ine 

 foUowinedefinitionsjDfterms are given with reference to this order only, and if understood, will remove 

 many diriiculties that lie in the student's way m the investigation ol this subject. ,<,_,,„v „„ „ 



Capitulum or head {compound Jloicer ot the earlier botanists) ; a collection of flowers (Jlorets) on a 

 common receptacle (rac/iw), as in Aster. Helianthus, &c /.,»,, 



Involucre (calyx by analogy) is the lower and outer envelope of the head. 



Scales; the modified leaves or bracts composing the involucre. 



Monophyllovs involucre ; where the scales are united by their edges. 



Pohjphytloiis involucre ; where the scales are distinct. ... . , „ . „„„„ 



Bimple involucre ; where the scales are equal and arranged in a single row. Ishort ones. 



Catvculate involucre; where a single row of scales is surrounded at base by an outer row of very 



Imbricated involucre : where the scales are in several rows, the outer ones becoming gradually snorter 



The Receptacle or rachis is the dilated extremity of the peduncle, inclosed by the involucre, and upon 

 which the flowers stand. It is , ■ c 



Colu7nnar, flat, conical OT depressed, according lo its torm; ^ , ,.^ , . , ,„ . 



Palearcou.s or chaffy, whe.-e the flowers arc sui)lended by chaffy scales which are analogous to bracU . 



Alveolate, where ft i-resents the ai.pearance of a honey-comb, each flower ha^ng been sunouiided by a 

 membranous rim or involucel ; 



Areolate, where the alveoli are reduced to a mere line ; . . 



Fimbrillate, where the alveoli arc split into teeth or bristles ; 



Naked, when smoothish, being destitute of dial!', alveoli, bristles, &c. 



