254 CLASS SYNGENESIA. 



plant, which belongs to the genus Chrysanthemum. " The 

 genus Artemisia, was named in honour of Artemis, the wife of 

 Mausolus, whose monument was one of the wonders of the 

 world (hence our word Mausoleum). Pliny observes that wo- 

 men have had, also, the glory of giving names to plants."* 



The 3d section of the order Superflua, includes sucli flowers 

 as have flat or ligulate petals, arranged around the middle or 

 disk of the flower ; these are called rays. The receptacles in 

 this section are naked, that is, the top of the stem is found, on 

 removing the different parts of the blossom, to be smooth, with- 

 out any hairs or down, such as you may see on the dandelion 

 after the petals have fallen off. We here find the star flower 

 (ASTER), a genus in which 120 species have already been dis- 

 covered, more than '60 of which are natives of the U. States. 

 These are not often seen in blossoVn until June and July ; they 

 appear in flower until the approach of winter. Many of these 

 flowers are highly beautiful ; the different species present a 

 great variety of rich and delicate colouring, from the dark blue, 

 purple, and red, to a pale blue, a light violet and pink, and in 

 many cases, a pure white. In some, the yellow prevails ; 

 sometimes they are variegated, and often the disk and ray are 

 of different colours. After having once become familiar with 

 the Aster genus, you will seldom fail to distinguish it ; but it is 

 often difficult to determine the species. If you meet with ob- 

 stacles in this, you are not to consider your time as lost ; com- 

 parison and research strengthen the mind, and the greater 

 difficulties you overcome, the greater will be the advantage, 

 in thus accustoming yourselves to nice comparisons, and close 

 investigations. 



The golden rod (SOLIDAGO) is a numerous genus ; the dif- 

 ferent species are mostly yellow ; in one section of these plants 

 the flowers are arranged in one-sided racemes, in another they 

 form small and irregular clusters. This genus will also afford 

 an opportunity of strengthening the mental faculties by over- 

 coming difficulties ; for its numerous species are in most cases 

 so faintly distinguished, as to require some patience and appli- 

 cation to trace out the specific differences. 



The genus CHRYSANTHEMUM contains the common daisy, 

 sometimes called ox-eye ; it also includes many splendid foreign 

 plants, mostly of Chinese origin. The mountain daisy (Bellis) 

 is the flower which you were taught to analyze under the head 

 of compound flowers. 



Thornton's British Flora. 



Aster Advantages of overcoming difficulties in the analysis of plants 

 Golden rod Chrysanthemum. 



