BELL-FLOWERS AND DAISIES 169 
Daisy as the flower, pure and simple. Yet a closer 
examination shows in a moment what has happened. 
The flowers have grown very small, the stalklets which 
connected them with the main stem have disappeared 
altogether, and they are now seated close together directly 
upon it. How many combine to form a group varies 
sreatly. In the Yarrow, four or five combine to make 
one “flower,” as we call it, but 
many of these fives are borne on 
short stalks very close together, 
so the idea of joint attractiveness 
is preserved. It would seem 
that these composite plants have 
been taught that the best way 
for them to multiply their de- 
scendants is to join their forces. 
Their tiny flowers, if separated, 
would never be seen; joined in YARROW FLOWER. 
_ their great masses, as for instance, 
in the Sunflower and the Dahlia, they are as striking as 
could be imagined, and may be expected to catch an 
insect’s attention as quickly as the elaborate single flower 
of the orchid. Moreover, one important feature to note 
with the composites is that they are not wholly dependent 
on insects, and can use their own pollen just as well. 
If we are to judge by results, always rather likely to be 
a misleading test, their method would seem to be wholly 
admirable, for the Composites are by far the largest group 
in the flower world. Ten thousand individuals have 
already been identified and described, and the number 
is steadily growing. Moreover, they are as indifferent 
to climate as the English themselves, more so, in fact, 
for in every zone they not only exist, but multiply in 
