122 COMPOSITJE 



Order XLVI. COMPOSITiE— COMPOUND FLOWERS. 



Calyx tube adhering strictly to the ovary, the limb mostly becoming a 

 })appus that is either a chaffy margin of the fruit, or a tuft, or a ring of 

 bristles, hairs, or silky feathers ; corolla regular or irregular, tubular or 

 strap-shaped ; stamens 4 or 5, united by their anthers ; ovary inferior, 1 to 

 each style, 1 -celled ; style simple, with a simple or 2-cleft stigma, sheathed 

 by the tube of the anthers ; fruit a solitary erect seed, crowned by the pappus, 

 which usually consists of a plume of simple or serrated feathery hairs, some- 

 times elevated on a stalk, but which is in other cases merely a chaffy margin. 

 The blossoms of this order are called compound because they consist of a 

 number of small flowers (florets), inclosed within a calyx-like involucre, 

 composed of a number of bracts. These florets are inserted upon the dilated 

 top of the flower-stalk (receptacle) which is either furnished with chaffy scales 

 or naked. This order is divided into three sub-orders. 



Sah-order I. The Chicory Tribe (Cichoracece). 



In this the florets are all strap-shaped and perfect ; that is, each contains 

 5 stamens and a pistil, which is not swollen beneath its fork. The plants 

 mostly abound in milky juice. Some are slightly astringent, others bitter, 

 but they are chiefly remarkable for their narcotic properties. They are 

 generally innocuous plants, and their bitterness being lessened by culture, 

 they form in some cases wholesome vegetables. The prevailing colour of 

 the British species of this division is yellow, as in the Dandelion, Goat's- 

 beard, and Hawkweeds ; but the Alpine Sow-thistle and the Salsafy have 

 purple, and the Chicory bright blue flowers. 



Suh-ordcr II. The Thistle Tribe {CynarocephalcB). 



In this division the florets form a convex head, and are all tubular and 

 perfect, except in Centauria, in which the outer florets are larger than the 

 inner, and are destitute of stamens and pistils. The style is swollen beloAv 

 its branches. The flowers are usually purple, often varying to white ; the 

 Carline-thistle appears to be yellow, owing to the greater size of the bracts, 

 Init the florets are purple ; the Corn-flower is bright blue. Their properties 

 are bitter and tonic. 



Sub-order III. Corymbifer^. 



This sub-order is composed of two groups. In the first the florets are 

 all tubular, 5-cleft, having stamens and pistils, and forming a flat head, the 

 style not swollen below the stigma. These form the group Tubiflorce. In 

 the second division, termed Radiatce, the central florets are tubular, 5-cleft, 

 having stamens and pistils ; the outer florets are strap-shaped, forming a ray, 

 and furnished with pistils only : the style not swollen below the stigma. 

 Senecio vulgaris, the Common Groundsel, has no rays. The flowers of the first 

 division of this sub-order are mostly yellow ; but some, like the Hemp- 

 agrimony and Butter-bur, have flesh-coloured or purple flowers. A power- 

 fully bitter principle resides in many of the plants, as in the Wormwood. 

 In the Radiatce the prevailing colour of the disk is yellow, and of the ray 



