144 



THE LIGULATED FLOWERETS. 



But what are these white rays, lightly shaded with pink, 

 which enclose or encircle the florets? (See Fig. 32, a.) 

 Examine them at their points of insertion. You will perceive 

 there some traces of reproductive organs, among which the 

 style is most prominent. As for the corolla, it is represented 

 only by its brown lip, which is immeasurably developed. It 

 is this exaggerated development which constitutes the white 

 rays, or petals, that prove so attractive to the eye. (See Fig. 

 32, b.) Do not forget to observe, by the way, that they are 

 rose-tinted only on the side which directly undergoes the action 

 of the light. To distinguish them from the tubular florets, 

 the tubuliflom, these " white rays " have been called ligulate 

 florets, or liguliflor<z. 



The complete flowers (or the florets) and the rays (or par- 

 tially abortive 

 flowers) form, 

 in their aggre- 

 gate, what our 

 botanists have 

 agreed to call 

 an inflorescence 

 of the capitula. 

 Disposed quin- 

 FlG -3'- FlG -3* cuncially on an 



ovoid receptacle, or phoranth, both are grouped (Fig. 32, c) 

 in alternating rows. 



To explain thoroughly this species of inflorescence, we will 

 venture upon an hypothesis. Let us suppose that we could 



