THE COMPOSITE. 



141 



SCALES. The bracts forming the involucre of a flower- 

 head. 



FLORETS. The flowers of a flower-head. 



RAY FLORETS. The outer petal-like florets of a flower- 

 head. 



DISK FLORETS. The inner florets of a flower-head. 



Observe the bract at the base of the floret in Fig. 421. 

 Observe the chaffy, bract-like bodies growing among the 

 florets in Fig. 420. Examine your 

 specimens, and see if, in any case, 



FIG. 420. 



FIG. 421. 



FIG. 422. 



you find such things growing out of the receptacle among 

 the florets. These chaffy bodies are known as pale<z. 

 When they are wanting, the receptacle is said to be naked. 

 Separate the naked from the chaffy flower-heads of your 

 collection. 



In Fig. 422 you see the convex receptacle at a. Ob- 

 serve the different forms presented by the receptacle 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 columnar ? Are any pitted or 

 honey-combed? In Fig. 422 is shown half the involucre 

 of a marigold. Compare the involucres of your collection. 

 They may be hemispherical, conical, inversely conical, 

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



