9y^ COMPUSIT.E. 



OuDEu LI. COMPOSIT-ai. 



Known by having the flowers iu a head, surrounded by an invohicre (fonaing 

 the compound flower of the older botanists), and syngenesious anthers. — Fluwers 

 cither perfect, ixilygaiuous, or moncecious, or rarely diteciuus, or some neutral. 

 Corolla gamopiitalous (monopetalous). Stamens 5, or sometimes 4, inserted un the 

 tube of the corolla alternate with its lobes : iilameats generally distinct : anthers 

 synytntsions, i. e. united into a tube. Ovary 1-celled, with a solitary erect anat- 

 lopous ovule : stylo one, 2-cleft or iJ-lobod ut the apex ; the lobes or ])rauches of 

 the stylo bearing stigmas iu the form of marginal linos on tlieir inner face. I'ruit 

 an akeiie. Seed (hvsLitute of albumen, tilled by the stmiglit embryo. — Caly.K with 

 tube investing and incDrpurated with the ovary ; its limb either wanting, ur in the 

 form of a border or crown, or of teeth, scales, awns, bristles, &c., surmounting the 

 ovary : it is called a pappus, whatever be its form or texture. Corolla e])igynous, 

 either strap-shaped {lujulate) or tubular ; iu the former case the 5 or 4 p(;tals of 

 which it is composed are sometimes indicated by the teeth or notches at the apex 

 of the ligait or expanded portion : in the latter case S-lobed or occasionally 4-lubed, 

 the lobes valvate in the bud, the veins of the tube forking at the sinuses ami 

 bordering the lobes. Anthers 2-celled, introrse, o{)ening on the inner face ; the 

 pollen brushed out of the tube by the lengthening of the style, some portion 

 of Avhich, or of its branches, in staminiferous flowers usually is beset externally or 

 tipped with a rough-bristly or papillose surface. Heads homoyamous, i. e. with all 

 their flowei-s alike, or heterogamous, i. e. of more than one sort of flowers. llomog- 

 amous heads are sometimes completely lujulijloruus, i. o. all the flowers with strap- 

 shaped or ligulato corolla, and in this case all hm-maphrodite ; sometimes discoid, 

 i. 0. with no lignlate flowers, llctorogamoua heads are commonly radiate, i. e. the 

 outermost or marginal flowers have enlarged and mostly strap-shaped corollas, and 

 are always female or else neutral : these are called flowers of the ray, or ray- 

 flowers, or shortly rai/s : those within are termed flowers of the disk or ilisk- 

 flowers. Some heterogamous heads are discoid, i. e. the marginal flowers allhough 

 unlike the central ones are all tubular, or at least not developed into rays. The 

 bracts or leaves of tho involucre which surround the head are commonly termed 

 ■ scales, whatever their texture. The commonly dilated extremity of the peduncle 

 on which the flowers are inserted is the receptacle. When the leceptacle bears only 

 flowers within the involucre, it is said to be naked: when there are bracts, usually 

 in the form of chaIVy sc;ales (thereftn-e termed palew, palets, or chaff) borne on tlie 

 receptacle, mostly one outside of each Jlow.-r, the* rectiptacle is said to ha 2)aleaceous 

 or chaffy. — Herbs, shruljs, or sometimes trees, various in ft)liage, with determinate 

 inflorescence as to tho order of the lieads, i. e. the terminal (U- central one iirst lUi- 

 veloped ; but the evolution of tlie l)lossoms in each head centripetal, i. e. the mar- 

 ginal ones earliest. — DC. Trodr. v., vi., k vii., pait 1 ; Torr. k (Iray, Fl. ii. 54- 

 504; Benth. & Hook. Gen. V\. ii. 1G3-533. 



An immense order, found in all parts of the world, comprising about one tenth of all Phaenoga- 

 moua plants, iu North America and especially iu ("alifornia a still largti- proportion. Vt-iy 

 few are important for any active properties or useful products ; Imt many an; cultivalcd for orna- 

 ment. 



