68 AS CALIFORNIA FLOWERS GROW 



merely to attract attention. This is the Compositae, 

 which you know well either in your garden or in 

 the wildwoods. Its genera differ, but they all are 

 fashioned to carry on their life-work co-operatively. 

 Just as people living in cities secure service mors 

 easily than those residing on isolated ranches, sc 

 does Compositae get what she wants by limiting hei 

 area. 



Let us take the Seaside Daisy. You see a yellow 

 center, surrounded by violet rays. Look close at the 

 center. It is made up of tiny flower tubes crowded 

 densely together, and for the whole mass there is 

 but one circle of light-colored rays to summon visit- 

 ors. These rays form a glorified group corolla, and 

 their only duty is to advertise. In correlation with 

 the group corolla, Compositae has developed what 

 may be considered a group calyx, as it performs foi 

 the flower head the duties that a calyx does in an 

 individual flower. It is called an involucre and is 

 made up of many leaflets crowded together. It is 

 tough and not only protects the tender members of 

 the head from moisture and from cold, but forms a 

 strong wall against certain thieving insects who try 

 to cut through and surreptitiously drain the honey 

 glands from below. 



In the center, the little flowers in the outside rings 

 open first, while the inner circles stay tight in bud. 

 The stamens ripen while the pistil is immature, and 



