CLASS SYNGENESIA. 



J.S3 



do not all begin to expand at the same time, they usually be^^in at 

 *he disk and proceed inwards towards the centre. If you examine 

 with a microscope, one of the florets of the disk, you will perceive 

 ■t to be tubular, containing one pistil surrounded by five stamens, 

 which are separate ; but the five anthers grow together, forming a 

 tube around the pistil. It is this union of anthers which gives to it a 

 place in the class Syngenesia. The florets of the ray are called 

 neutral, having neither stamens nor pistils ; the circumstance of 

 neutral florets in the ray, places the sun-flower in the order Frustra- 

 tiea, of the 17th classv 



Although the term compound is confined to the flowers of the class 

 Syngenesia, the real circumstance on which the class is founded is 

 not the compound character of the flower, but the union of the an- 

 thers. A Clover blossom may in one sense be called compound, as 

 it is a collection of many little flowers united ; but each little floret 

 of the clover has its own calyx ; there is no general calyx enclosing 

 the whole, as in most of the Syngenesious plants, but the florets are 

 arranged in such a manner as to form a head ; the anthers are sep- 

 arate, the filaments connected at their sides ; and this latter circum- 

 stance, together with the papilionaceous form of the corolla, places 

 the clover in the class Diadelphia. 



Most of the Syngenesious flowers are composed of two sorts of 

 florets, either tubular, with a toothed margin; or s^r«j3-shaped, {ligu- 

 late,) flat, but bein^ also toothed at the edge ; the latter are some- 

 times called Semi-florets, or half flowers. 



Analysis qf the Daisy. 



Fig. 144 represents the moun- 

 tain daisy : we will consider 

 its different parts* 



1. The Root, (a;) this is 

 fibrous ; see the small thread- 

 like parts issuing from the 

 main root, or radix ; from 

 these fibres sometimes spring 

 out little tubercles, it is then 

 said to befibrous-tubercled. 



2. The Leaves, (6;) these 

 spring from the root, and are 

 hence called radical ; being 

 undivided, they are called sim- 

 ple. In form, they are some- 

 what oval, with the narrow end 

 towards the stem ; this form is 

 called obovate. The leaves are 

 said to be ciliate, on account 

 of the hairs upon their margin. 



3. The Stem (c) is called a 

 scape, because it springs direct- 

 ly from the root, and bears no 

 leaves ; it is simple and pubes- 

 cent. 



4. The Caly.v (d) is hemi- 

 spherical; it is common, that is, 



a enclosing many florets ; the 

 leafets of the calyx, sometimes 

 ca lled scales, are equal. 



Is a clover blossom a compound flower ?— Two sorts of florets in most of the com 

 pound flowers— Describe Fig. 144. 



