ON COMPOUND FLOWERS. 



of a tube. Suppose it be an elongated tube, slit opeu 

 lengthwise and spread out, and you will form a tolerable 

 idea of this species of corolla. These are called ligulate. 

 florets; ligula being Latin for a strap : hence they fre 

 quently bear the name of strap-shaped florets. 



Caroline. At the upper extremity there are five small 

 teeth, like those of the yellow tubes. 



Emily. But here, Mrs. B., is another China Aster, in 

 which there are no yellow florets ; the head is entirely com- 

 posed of these flat violet florets, which, we took for petals. 



Mrs. B. This is a double China Aster. All its flor- 

 ets have undergone the change which in general takes 

 place only with those situated at the circumference of the 

 head ; and you have here a proof of the two sorts of flor- 

 ets being of the same nature, since they are susceptible 

 of being transformed from the one into the other. If you 

 examine the flower attentively, you will see that the ligu- 

 late florets have no stamens, and even the style often ap- 

 pears imperfect ; so that florets of this nature yield no 

 seed, and when a head is entirely composed of them, it is 

 incapable of propagation. 



Caroline. Yet here is a scorzonera which has only 

 flowers of this description, and it produces seed ? 



Mrs. B. I will explain to you whence this difference 

 arises. Compound flowers exist in three different states: 

 the head is sometimes composed entirely of tubular 

 florets ; the artichoke and the thistle are of this descrip- 

 tion : they are called flosculous, and, with some few pe- 

 culiar exceptions, all the florets yield seed. A second 

 state is when the head is composed entirely of ligulate 

 florets, having stamens and styles ; such as the double 

 China Aster, you have just observed : these form the class 

 called Ligulate, or, as they are sometimes, though less 

 properly, called, Semi flosculous. The scarzonere and 

 the endive belong to this class, and all the florets yield 

 seed. In the third state, the florets in the centre of the 

 head are tubular, and those at the circumference flat or 



1214. What are ligulate flowers, and whence do they receive their 

 namel 1215. Tn viewing a double China Aster, of what does Mrs. 

 B. tell Emily that she has proof? 1216. If the flower is examined at- 

 tentively what will be seen 1 ? 1217. In how many different states do 

 compound flowers exist! 1218. What is said of the first state and 

 what ones belong to itl 1219. And of the second and what ones be- 

 long to this class 1 



