218 . t ON COMPOUND FLOWERS. 



The flowers, analogous to leaves without petioles, are 

 called sessile ; such are the Scabiosa, and many others. 



Now, amongst this extensive class, there is one family 

 distinguished from all the rest by the cohesion of their an- 

 thers, so as to form a tube around the style, and it is this 

 peculiarity which constitutes the compound flower, or fam- 

 ily of Syngenesia ; and it is to this family that I shall 

 more particularly direct your attention, as the China As- 

 ter, which we are examining, belongs to it. 



You see all these little yellow parts in the centre of 

 the head, and these violet leaves, which spread out 

 around it, and which you took for petals : they are all of 

 them distinct flowers. 



Emily. Is it possible! Such a concourse of tiny flow- 

 ers, so closely crowded together in the centre ; and these 

 appear totally different from the violet-leaves, which you 

 also call flowers. 



Mrs. B. They are far from being so different in their 

 structure as you would imagine from their appearance. 

 In the China Aster, and in several other of the Syngene- 

 sia, the florets, though distinct, are not separated from 

 each other by any intervening body ; but there are some 

 plants of this family, such as the endive, the artichoke, 

 and the camomile, whose florets are separated by a species 

 of small bractea?, which have been called palix or chaff, 

 and which shoot up from beneath each floret. These 

 bracteae are sometimes of a scaly nature, and sometimes 

 they assume the appearance of bristles or hairs. The 

 choke of the artichoke, before the blossom is developed, 

 is of this description. 



Emily. The artichoke, then, is a compound flower ; and 

 the only part of this plant that I am unacquainted with is 

 its blossom, which is not developed when it is served at 

 table. We there eat the receptacle and the most tender 

 part of the leaves which compose the involucre, whilst the 

 choke we carefully extract in order to avoid eafing it. 



Mrs. B. I advise you, when an opportunity occurs, to 

 make acquaintance with the blossom. Let us now return 



1193. What ones are called sessile! 1194. What peculiarity 

 1 constitutes the compound flower'? 1195. What is mentioned by Mrs 

 B. of the China Aster which appears extraordinary to Emily'? 1196. 

 How do the flowrets in the China Aster vary from those of the endive., 

 the artichoke, and the camomile'? 1197. How are these bracteae de- 

 scribed! 1198. What does Emily call the artichoke and what does 

 she say of it! 



