THE COMPOSITE. 



14:3 



tacle in the last four figures. Strip away the florets 

 from your flower-heads, and compare them in this 

 respect. Are any conical in shape ? Are any colum- 

 nar? Are any pitted or honey-combed? In Fig. 

 298 is shown half the involucre of a marigold. Com- 

 pare the involucres of your collection. They may 

 be hemispherical, conical, inversely conical, squar- 

 rose, oblong, cup-shaped, etc. Their scales may be 

 many or few ; narrow or broad ; in one or several 

 rows ; loosely or closely imbricate ; chaffy, spinous, or 

 soft ; reflexed, colored, etc. 



EXERCISE XLIX. 

 The Florets. 



Let us now examine, with some care, the 

 ure of florets. The flower-head here dissected 

 of the marigold. If you 

 cannot get this plant, take 

 the sun-flower, or daisy, 

 or dandelion and thistle, 

 or any other flower-heads 

 you happen to have. Oi 

 course, it is desirable, at 

 the outset of study, to 

 get the largest florets you 

 can find. 



Fig. 299 represents a 

 section of the marigold; 

 a, the ray florets ; , the 



struct- 

 is that 



-a* 



