COMPOUND FLOWERS 14? 



I. Chicorace^e (Chicory Group). In this all the florets are strap- 

 shaped and perfect ; that is, each contains 5 stamens and a pistil. 

 The prevailing colour of British species is yellow, as the Dandelion ; 

 but Salsafy (Tragopogon porrifolius) and Alpine Sow-thistle (Son- 

 chits Alpinus) have purple flowers ; Chicory, blue. 



In II, Cynarocephal.e (Thistle Group), the florets form a convex 

 head, and are all tubular and perfect except in Centaurea, where 

 the outer florets, which are larger than the inner, are destitute both 

 of stamens and pistils ; the stigma is jointed on the style. The 

 flowers are purple, with a tendency to vary into white ; but in 

 Carline Thistle (Carlina) they are brownish yellow ; in Cornflowef 

 (Centaurea Cyanus) bright blue. 



In III, Tubiflor/E (Tansy Group), all the florets are tubular and 

 perfect, and form a flat head ; the style passes into the stigma 

 without a joint ; the flowers are mostly yellow ; but Hemp- 

 agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) has lilac flowers ; Butter-bur 

 (Petasites vulgaris) pale flesh-coloured ; and in most species of 

 Artemisia, Gnaphalium, and Filago the colour is determined rather 

 by the involucre than the florets. 



In IV, Radiat.e (Daisy Group), the florets are of two kinds ; 

 those of the centre, or disk, being tubular and perfect, those of the 

 margin, or ray, strap-shaped and having pistils only. The prevail- 

 ing colour of the disk is yellow, Yarrow (Achillea) being the only 

 exception, in which all the florets are white ; the ray is either of 

 the same colour, as in Coltsfoot (Tussilago), Golden-rod (Solidago), 

 Rag-wort and Flea-wort (Senecio), Leopard's-bane (Doronicum), 

 Elecampane (Inula), Flea-bane (Pulicaria), Corn-marigold (Chry- 

 santhemum segetum), and Ox-eye Chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria); 

 white, as in Daisy (Bellis), Fever-few and May-weed (Matricaria), 

 Ox-eye (Chrysanthemum Leucanthemuni), and several species of 

 Chamomile (Anthemis) ; or purple, as in Star- wort (Aster), and 

 Erigeron. In Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) the ray is never per- 

 fected. The limits of the Order Composite are exactly the same 

 as those of the Linnaean Class Syngenesia ; but the number of 

 plants belonging to it exceeds the amount of all the plants known 

 to Linnaeus, so extensive have been the researches in Botany since 

 his time. The number of genera alone amounts to some 800, of 

 species nearly 10,000, or about one-tenth of all the known flowering 

 plants ; whilst the total number of species known to Linnaeus was 

 but 8500. The properties of the Order vary considerably in various 

 parts of the world, but not according to any fixed rule. The Chicory 

 Group are, however, most abundant in cold regions, the Daisy Group 

 *m hot climates. Again, it may be remarked that in cold and tem- 

 perate regions the Compositae are mostly herbaceous ; but as we 

 approach the equator they become shrubs, or even trees. The 

 variety of properties which they possess ic not proportionate to the 



