948 Compositae. 
flowers have enlarged and mostly strap-shaped corollas and are 
always female or else neutral: these are called flowers of the 
ray, or ray-flowers, or shortly rays: those within are termed flowers 
of the disk or disk-flowers. Some heterogamous heads are discoid, 
i. e. the marginal-flowers although unlike the central-ones or all 
tubular, or at least not developed into rays. The bracts or leaves 
of the involucre which surround the head are commonly termed 
scales, whatever their texture. ‘The commonly dilated extremity of 
the peduncle on which the flowers are inserted is the receptacle. 
When the receptacle bears only flowers within the involuere, it is 
said to be naked: when there are bracts usually in the form of 
chaffy scales (therefor termed paleae. palets or chaff) borne on the 
receptacle, mostly one outside of each flower, the receptacle is said 
to be paleaceous or chaffy. 
An immense family by far the largest of flowering plants, comprising 
about 950 genera and 20000 species. It is found in every part of the world, 
from the equater to the limits of phaenogamic vegetation in the arctie and 
antarctic region, and is equally plentiful in lowland districts and in 
mountainous or alpine situations. Although so numerous in species, the 
order is far from being proportionately important an economic point of 
view. Edible species are singularly few, the chief being the Jerusalem and 
common artishoke, lettuce, and cichory. Oils are yielded by the sunflower 
and by Madia sativa. The chief medicinal plants are arnica, wormwood, 
and camomile. Many ornamental species are cultivated in gardens, as the 
various kinds of chrysanthemums, dahlias, cinerarias, asters, sunflowers, 
Zinnias, marigolds, ete.; but on the whole it must be confessed that the 
majority of the plants composing the order present a weedy and unattractive 
appearance. Most of the Egyptian genera are widely distributed, Many weeds 
of cultivation belonging to the family have become naturalized in Kgypt. 
A. Tubuliflorae. — The corollas tubular and 5- (or 
rarely 4-) toothed or claft in the perfect 
flowers; those with ligulate corollas (rays) at 
the margins either pistillate or neutral. 
I. Style-branches slender-subulate, minutely 
hispid; heads homogamous and the flowers 
all perfect, with tubular corolla, never 
yellow. Anthers sagittate at the base . 1. Vernonieae. 
Il. Style-branches elub-shaped, obtuse, neither 
hairy nor appendaged: flowers all perfect, 
HOVGl. YELLOW! ie tes gaabine sivas heute 2. Eupatorieae. 
III. Style-branches of perfect flowers flat and 
tipped with a distinct flat appendage: 
anthers without tails leaves all alternate 3. Asteroideae. 
