335 



Common Calyx inferior, containing numerousy/o/-^/.?, seated 

 on a common receptacle. It contracts after' flowering, but 

 becomes reflexed, in general, when the seeds are ripe. It 

 is either simple, consisting of a single row of scales en- 

 compassing the florets ; or imbricated, when the nume- 

 rous scales lie one over another, the outer ones being 

 gradually smaller ; or double^ when one row of equal 

 scales, united at the base, surrounds the florets, and is 

 accom})anied by a much smaller external set of scales at 

 the bottom, often of a very different texture, habit, or 

 duration from the inner and larger ones. 



Compound Flox^er consisting of various descriptions o{ Jlo- 

 rets, each monopetalous, very rarely wanting the corolla 

 entirely, but various as to stamens, pistil, or seed. 



1. Ligulate Florets, tubular at the base; ligulate, or strap- 

 shaped, and unilateral, in the limb ; furnished with both 

 stamens and pistil, or only with the latter, in a more or 

 less perfect state. 



2. Tubular Florets, cylindrical, with a regular equal limb, 

 almost invariably 5-cleft ; furnished generally with sta- 

 mens and pistil, and usually producing perfect seed. 



3. Neuter Florets, funnel-sha})ed, spreading ujnvards, with- 

 out stamens or style, mostly irregular, entirely inellicient. 



Nectary altogether wanting, the honey lodged'in each flo- 

 ret being, a}i])arently, secreted by llie tube of its corolla. 



Stamens 5, very rarely or accidentally t only ; filaments cti- 

 pillary, from the mouth of the tube of each floret, equal, 

 sometimes irritable. Anthers vertical, linear-oblong, 

 united laterally into a cylinder, \eYy rarely separate, per- 

 manent. 



Germeii, with respect to its floret, inferior, simple, olteii 

 crowned with a partial calyx, which becomes tlie croxvn, 

 border, or <'/otcv/ of the seecl. .S'////c' solitary, thread-sliaped, 

 about the length of the corolla. Sti<^ma sim})Ie, or cloven, 

 sometimes thickened, and in that case less perfect, or to- 

 tally ineflicitnt. 



Seed'7'essel none, the common calyx s(.'i-ving to shelter the 

 seeds till ripe, and then spreading widely, especiallv in 

 dry weather, to let them escape. 



Seed one to each floret, sonietimes a mere rudiment ; w hen 

 perfect obloiig, or obovate, angular oi- compressed ; ei- 

 ther simple and naked at the summit ; or ciowned witli 

 an elevated, entire or lobed, l)c)r(hr : or with scrd-drmft, 

 consisting of simple, ii->n:illy loiigli, hairs; or of ieatherv 



