see that these asters are anes ou) 
own cousins to robin’s ike Mi 
ok Hh 
plantain. Their flower heads iy ‘ 
co 
are put together in the same 
way, and many of the asters wear Bee. 
the same blue or purple dress “? 
(Fig. 269). 
When once you have be- 
come acquainted with the 
secret of dandelion and 
daisy and aster and robin’s plantain, 
you will find it quite easy to dis- 
cover their little separate 
flowers. All these plants 
have large, plain flower 
heads that you cannot mis- 
But with some members of this great 
Composite family you are going to have more 
Fic. 271 trouble, unless you take your time and keep your 
—* 
FIG. 272 
wits about you. 
Just when the asters begin to border the roadsides in 
the month of August, the golden-rod (Fig. 270) hangs 
out its bright yellow flowers. This golden-rod is one of 
the plants which you may find a little troublesome; for 
its little flowers are so tiny, that even when a number 
of them are fastened together in a bunch, the whole 
bunch looks like a very small blossom (Fig. 271). 
In each of these little bunches or heads (for when a 
number of flowers are packed together in this way, we 
call the whole bunch a “head’’) there are a few of the 
strap flowers (Fig. 272) on the outside, and a few tube 
