i.] COMPOSITE. 177 



The Composite Family is the largest and at the same 

 time one of the best denned in the Vegetable Kingdom. 

 The eight or nine thousand species which compose the 

 Order nearly all agree in their capitate inflorescence, the 

 5 stamens with syngenesious anthers, the i -celled ovary 

 containing a single erect ovule, and fhe dry achene ; in 

 common language incorrectly called a "seed." 



Note amongst Tubulifloras : 



Coltsfoot (Tussilago\ with the flowers appearing in early 

 spring, before the leaves. 



Sunflower (Helianthus ammus), the seeds of which yield 

 a valuable oil ; and Jerusalem Artichoke (H. tuberosus). 

 The latter species rarely flowers in cultivation, except 

 in hot summers. It is of North American origin. 



Monstrous condition of Daisy (Bellis perennis\ in which 

 small flower-heads are borne in the axils of the bracts 

 of the involucre, as in " Hen-and-Chickens Daisy." 



Garden Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum indicum), the 

 florets all ligulate under culture. Many beautiful 

 varieties, differing in colour and form (whether flat or 

 " quilled ") of the ligulate florets, are groM-n. 



Chamomiles (Anthemis nobilis), the dried flower-heads 

 used medicinally in infusion as " chamomile-tea." 



Thistle, Onopord, and others, with decurrent, often 

 prickly leaves : Creeping Thistle (Cardmis arvensis) is 

 a too common weed in pastures, propagating itself by 

 a creeping rhizome, every node of which is capable of 

 giving off a shoot ; the flower-heads are unisexual. 



FIG. 122. Fiower-head of Echinops, but two florets remain. 

 O.E. .N 



