142 



BOTANY. 



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

 loosely or closely imbricate ; chaffy, spinous, or soft ; re- 

 flexed, colored, etc. 



EXERCISE LXIII. 

 The Florets. 



Let us now examine, with some care, the structure of 

 florets. The flower-head here dissected is that of the 

 marigold. If you can not get this plant, take the sun- 

 flower, or daisy, or dande- 

 lion, or thistle, or any other 

 flower-heads you happen to 

 have. Of course, it is de- 

 sirable, at the outset of 

 study, to get the largest 

 florets you can find. 



Fig. 423 represents a sec- 

 tion of the marigold : a, the 

 ray florets ; b, the disk flo- 

 rets ; c, the involucre ; d, 

 the receptacle ; and e, the 

 peduncle. 



Fig. 424 shows one of 

 the ray florets, with its strap-shaped corolla, d the limb, 

 and c the tube. At e is seen the forked stigma of the pis- 

 til ; a is the ovary, and b the limb of the calyx. Compare 

 this picture, or, what is better, a living example, with one 

 of the florets of a dandelion, and carefully note the differ- 

 ences of structure they present. 



Fig. 425 represents a disk floret : a, the ovary ; b, the 

 limb of the calyx ; and c, the tubular corolla. Compare 

 this floret with those of the thistle, or any tubular florets 

 in your collection. 



In looking for the limb of the calyx in your specimens, 

 you have found very various and peculiar appearances. 

 This part of florets, from its singularity, has received the 



