260 



GENERAL BOTANY 



FIG. 64 

 ACHENES OF CLEMATIS 



FIG. 63 

 FRUIT OF SHOREA 



ROBUSTA, Gaertw. 



feather (fig. 64). 

 In many of the 

 COMPOSITE, 



e.g. SE N EC i o, 



ERIGERON, etc., a circle of hairs, the pappus, is 

 formed round the top of the achene (fig. 65). The 

 latter is also sometimes produced as a long stalk, at 

 the top of which are the spreading white pappus 

 hairs. This forms a very efficient apparatus for sup- 

 porting the fruit (with its enclosed seed) in the air, 

 so that it may be carried several hundreds of yards 

 on a dry sunny day. A good instance is the com- 

 mon Dandelion which occurs as a weed in our- hill 

 stations. A pappus is also formed on the fruits of 



