CLASS SYNGENESIA. 18b 



1st. Containing such as liave ligulate florets ; as ^T-e dandeiion, let- 

 ruce, and vegetable-oyster. 



2d. Florets tubulous, with flowers in a head; as the thistle, and 

 false saffron, {Carthamus.) 



3. Florets tubidous, without rays ; as, boneset, or thoroughwort, 

 (Eupatorium.) 



You will find no difficulty in procuring for analysis, either dandf^- 

 lions or thistles ; boneset is also abundant ; therefore, for farther 

 investigation of this order we will r<^fer you to the plants themselves, 

 aided by the generic and specific descriptions provided to assist 

 you in analyzing plants. 



Order Superflua, 



The second Order presents us with such compound flowers as 

 have the florets of the disk perfect, and those of the ray only pistil- 

 late, each pistil producing a perfect seed. The term superjiim is 

 used, because the pistils in the ray, being unaccompanied with sta- 

 mens, are said to be unnecessary, or superfluous. 



This order is divided into two sections. 



1st. Flowers without rays, or the ray florets indistinct ; here we 

 find the tansey and the life-everlasting ; of the latter there are many 

 species. 



The Artemisia, a genus which includes the wormwood and 

 southern-wood, both exotics, has but few native species. The name 

 Artemisia is often improperly given to an ornamental plant which 

 belongs to the genus Chrysanthemum. " The genus Artemisia was 

 named in honour of Artemis, the wife of Mausolus, whose monu- 

 ment was one of the wonders of the world, (hence our word Mauso- 

 leum.) Pliny observes that women have had, also, the glory of 

 giving names to plants."* 



The 2d section of the order Superflua, includes such flowers as 

 have ligulate petals, arranged around the disk of the flower ; these 

 are called rays. The receptacles in this section are naked, that is, 

 the top of the stem is found, on removing the different parts of the 

 blossom, to be smooth, without any hairs or down, this you may see 

 on the dandelion after the petals have fallen off". We here find the 

 star-flower, (Aster,) a genus in which 120 species have already been 

 discovered; more than 60 of them are natives of the United States. 

 These are not seen in blossom until June and July ; they appear in 

 flower until the approach of winter. Many of these flowers are 

 highly beautiful ; the different species present a great variety of rich 

 and deUcate colouring, from the dark blue, purple, and red, to a pale 

 blue, a light violet and pink, and in many cases, a pure white. In 

 some, the yellow prevails ; sometimes they are variegated, and often 

 the disk and ray are of different colours. After having once b^ 

 come familiar with the Aster genus, you will seldom fail to distin- 

 guish it ; but it is often difficult to determine the species. If you 

 meet with obstacles in this, you must not consider your time as lost ; 

 comparison and research strengthen the mind, and the greater the 

 difficulties you overcome, the greater will be the advantage, in thus 

 accustoming yourselves to nice comparisons, and close investiga- 

 tions. 



The golden rod (Solidago) is a numerous genus ; the different 

 species are mostly yellow ; in one section of these plants the flowers 



* Thornton's British Flora. 



Order Superflua, how divided ?— 1st section— Artemisia— 2d section— Aster— Advan- 

 tages of overcoming difficulties in the analysis of plants- Golden rod. 

 16* 



