COMPOSITE. 165 



Ordeu XXX. COMPOSITE. 



Flowers in close heads, polygamous, monoecioiis. The central 

 flowers ill a iiead are called the disk ; the iiiarginal flowers, il' of dif- 

 ferent shape from the disk, form the rai/. Flower heads each on a 

 common rece})tacle, inclosed by an involucre of scale-like bracts ; 

 the whole head resembling a flower, and the involucre like its caljTC ; 

 each of the proper flowers (termed Jiorets) having the calyx adher- 

 ing to the ovary, its limb represented by a hairy pappus or scales, or 

 wanting. Calyx tube adhering to the ovary, its limb usually made 

 up of hairy bristles or scales, occasionally wanting. Corolla either 

 tubular or strap-shaped, generally 5-toothed or lobed ; stamens 5, 

 inserted on the corolla; anthers united in a tube around the 2-cleft 

 style. Fruit an akene, one-seeded. Leaves alternate or opposite, fre- 

 quently divided or cut, without stipules. The florets, or little flowers, 

 are aggregated upon a receptacle, the tubular florets forming a circular 

 disk, while the strap-shaped ones form a circular ring outside the disk ; 

 in some cases all are strap-shaped. The under side of the receptacle 

 is clothed witli or included in a foliaceous aggregation of bract-like 

 scales, which take the place of a common calyx, and are called the 

 involucre- Nearly all herbs. A very large order, containing 766 

 genera, about one tenth of all flowering plants. 



INULA, L. Heads many-flowered, with an imbricated involucre. 

 Ray flowers numerous, pistillate ; disk flowers perfect. Receptacle 

 naked ; pappus simple, scabrous ; anthers with two 

 bristles at the base. 



L Helenium, L. (Elecampaue.) Stem 5 feet high, 

 stout, coarse, furrowed, downy, and branching above. 

 Leaves clasping above and petioled at tlie root, ovate, 

 rough, downy underneath, very large, 2 feet long and 

 1 foot wide ; serrate, crowtied with a network of veins, 

 midrib large. Flowor-heads large, solitary, and terminal ; 

 rays linear, yellow ends, 2-3-toothed. Flowers in August. 



Geofjraphi/. — It grows freely throughout the middle of 

 the temperate zone, both in Europe and Xortli America 

 as well as Asia, in rich, dam]) soil. Inula Helekium 



Eti/mologi/. — Helenium, the specific name, comes from (Elecampane), 



the Greek name of the plant, 4\(i/ioy, given in honor of 

 Helen of Troy. Jnula, the generic name, is the Latini/ed form of the same. 

 Elecampane is derived from the Greek i\(viov and Latin cam/nis, a field. 



Historij. — The Elecampane was eaten by the ancients in the countries of 

 the Levant, and Avas used by the Egy])tians iov medicine. Dioscorides de- 

 scribes it. Thunberg saw it in Japan, near Jed<U), botli under cultivati«)n and 

 without. lie heard no Japanese name, hence inferred that it was introduced 

 there by Europeans It is indigenous to middle Asia, and was carried west 

 throughout middle Europe by travellers, and wiuj brought to northeast America 

 by European colonists. 



