of the Class Composita. 171 



them by their discoverers, if not previously applied to other 

 species, I have scrupulously preserved. In the distribution of 

 the species, and in the formation of the generic divisions, I have 

 followed the comprehensive views of Mr. Brown and M. Cas- 

 sini, whose important labours in this class are universally ad- 

 mitted : and having myself been engaged for several years 

 studying this department of botany, — of which very few have 

 had so extensive opportunities, — the characters of the groups 

 which I shall have to propose in the sequel, may, therefore, 

 with more confidence be relied on. In order to render the di- 

 visions more intelligible, I shall in the first place proceed to 

 give a descriptive character of the class itself. 



COMPOSITE. Adans., Brown. 



Flores saepius hermaphroditi, capitati, toro proprio inserti, 

 sessiles, involucro e squamis (folia mutata) saepe plurimis 

 inclusi. 



Calyx ovario arete adherens: margo obsoletus v. elevatus, 

 plerumque scissus, aut in pappum forma varium abeuns, 

 nunc (in Zinnia) corollam aemulans ! 



Corolla monopetala, tubulosa, limbo 5-fida (raro 4-fida), aesti- 

 vatione valvata! laciniis 2 v. 3 connatis nunc bilabiata, aut 

 latere interiore longitudinaliter rupta, explanata, ligulae- 

 formis : nervis primariis laciniis alternantibus ! 



Stamina corollas laciniis numero aequalia, iisdemque altera a : 

 filament a libera v. partim aut omnino corollas tubo adha> 

 rentia, prope apicem articulata ! articulo superiore perssepe 

 dissimili : antherce biloculares : loculis parallelis, longitu- 

 dinaliter dehiscentibus : valvulis inaequalibus ; interiore an- 

 gustissima ; basi truncatis v. decurrentibus, aut productis, 

 apice in appendiculam planam confluentibus. 



Pistillum : 



