SUBDIVISIONS OP COMPOSITE TRIBE. 461 



in the disk ; hence they are called Radiate flowers or CorymJA- 

 ferce. It sometimes happens that no ray is present ; but the 

 heads of tubular flowers cannot then be mistaken for those of the 

 last section, since the florets of the latter are very wide-mouthed, 

 and spread over the sides of the involucrum, the bracts of which 

 are hard and spiny, whilst in the former case, the tubular 

 flowers are narrow at the mouth, and are not longer than the 

 scales of the involucrum, which are soft and leafy. To this 

 Radiate group belong the Sun-flowers, Chamomiles, Daisies, 

 Marigolds, Groundsel, Wormwood, the beautiful tribe of Asters 

 which add so much to the splendour of our gardens, and thousands 

 of other species. 



631. It must not be supposed that the clustering together of 

 the florets in heads is so essential a character of this order, that 

 every plant in which it exists is to be regarded as belonging to 

 the Compositaa. The contrary is the fact; for although no 

 plants of this order have other than composite flowers, there are 

 several in other orders, in which the flowers grow in heads. The 

 most important single character is the adhesion of the anthers 

 into a tube ; such perfect adhesion presenting itself nowhere else. 

 Upon this is founded the Linnaean name of the group, which 

 corresponds with the order Composite, the class SYNGENESIA. 

 In the whole of the subdivision Cichoracece, all the florets are 

 complete, possessing botli stamens and pistils ; this is also the 

 case in the greater number of the Cinarocephalce ; and the plants 

 having this character were arranged by Linnaeus into the order 

 JEqualiS) from the equal character of all the florets. This order 

 dso includes those of the CorymUferce which are destitute of ray. 

 On the other hand, in the remainder of the Corymbiferae, the 

 florets of the disk only are perfect, possessing both stamens and 

 pistils ; and those of the ray seem to have the corolla developed 

 at the expense of the stamens, which are absent : all the flowers, 

 however, usually bear seed, those of the ray being fertilised by 

 the pollen of those of the disk. This division was named by 

 Linnaeus Superftua, from the florets of the ray being as it were 

 superfluous. In the common Garden Marigold perfect seeds are 

 produced in the ray only, and this belongs to the Linnsean order, 



