246 GENERAL REVIEW. 



apparent use of which is to brush the pollen from the introrse 

 anther-cells, and to carry it upwards out of the flower-tube, 

 after which it is blown by the wind or carried by insects on to 

 the receptive stigmas of the older outer flowers of the same 

 disc, while the stigmas which have thus assisted their older 

 brethren are themselves fertilised in like manner by the 

 development of the inner flowers. A close examination of a 

 Daisy or Sun-flower, or any other single-flowered Composite, 

 will show the process going on in "all its stages. Some plants 

 which bear their flowers in spikes also develop the sexual 

 organs in each flower unequally, the anthers shedding their 

 pollen before their attendant stigma is receptive, so that it is 

 left to be fertilised by the pollen which falls or is carried by 

 insects from flowers higher up the spike (see Agave). Many 

 Composites are naturally hybridised, as is shown in the genus 

 Carduus ; and in gardens we have hybrid races of Zinnias, 

 while the cross-bred and seminal forms of Dahlia, Chrysan- 

 themum, and Aster are innumerable. Here again we see that 

 the flowers of Composites, although hermaphrodite and arranged 

 contiguously, are practically monoecious ; and wherever this is 

 the case with hermaphrodites, as a rule we find hybridism to 

 be comparatively easy. This order affords many ornamental 

 plants, especially annual and herbaceous Asters, Chrysan- 

 themums, Zinnias, Marigolds, &c.; while from a culinary 

 point of view the- order is interesting, as affording such plants 

 as Artichokes, Lettuce, Salsify, Scorzonera, Skirrets, Endive, 

 Succory, and other vegetables. Many species are used 

 medicinally, as the common Chamomile ; and some few are 

 acrid or poisonous. Perhaps no order is more productive of 

 perfect seeds than this, if we except Graminecz (grasses and 

 cereals), and this has doubtless enabled them to increase 

 and multiply to the present enormous extent. There is 

 scarcely a single species which cannot be readily increased by 

 seeds sown either as soon as ripe or in the spring. Those 

 which do not seed or rather flower freely, may be propagated 

 by cuttings or division. The woolly-leaved Composites are 

 best and most readily multiplied from seeds : if cuttings have to 

 be resorted to, however, insert them in a dry medium, and place 

 them on an airy shelf fully exposed to the sun, as they are apt 

 to damp off, as is well known to be the case with the silvery- 

 leaved Centaureas of the C. (ragnsind) candidissima group. 

 The same remark applies to the fleshy-leaved or succulent 

 species, such as Kleinia, Othonna, Mikania, Senecio, 

 Mesembryanthemum, and others. One of the most beautiful 

 Composite plants we have seen for the purpose of table decora- 



