COMPOSITiE. 



167 



arc chcwpd iiml thf siilivii s\v:illt>\ve(I for stomach disorders; and it is recorded 

 that the ancient Egyptians made an ointment by bruising the Howers with oil, 

 which they used for si<in diseases. The constituents of the Howers are a fixed 

 oil, contained in tlie seeds; an essential oil, upon which the odor depends; 

 and a substance obtained by extraction, to which the bitterness is due. The 

 essential oil is obtained by distillation. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM, Toiini. Heads many-flowered, with numerous 

 pistillate rays ; disk flowers fertile. Involucre, a flattened hemisphere; 

 scales short, appressed, thin, and imbricated. Receptacle flat or con- 

 vex, naked. Rays usually elongated; corollas of the disk flowers 

 flattened or i>-winged, below 4-to 5- toothed. Akenes short, ribbed 

 or angled, truncate at the tip, often destitute of pappus. Herbaceous 

 perennials, or annuals. 



There are many species belonging to this genus. The celebrated 

 Persian insect-powder is the pulverized flowers of C. roseum, C. car- 

 neum, and C. Wilmoti. The Dalmatian insect- 

 powder is the product of C. cinerariifolium, Tres., 

 var. rotundifolium. In the south of Europe the 

 C. corymbosum also furnishes an insect powder. 



C. carneum, M. B. (Chrysanthemum.) Stem 18 inches 

 high. Leaf smooth, bipinnate ; segments of prismal acute. 

 Flower-heads one and a half inches bi'oad ; involucre 

 imbricated ; margin brown and scarious ; receptacle convex, 

 naked. Ray-flowers 20 to 30, ligulate, nerved, and 3-toothed ; 

 disk-flowers numerous, tubular, .5-toothed. Akenes dark 

 brown, angular, wingless, crowned with a short membrana- 

 ceous pappus. Ray florets pale pink. Anthers projecting. 

 Perennial. 



Geographi/. — The C. carneum, C. roseum, and C. Wil- 

 moti are found native in the mountainous regions of north- 

 ern Persia, and the country east of the Black and Caspian 

 Seas. The C. cinerariifolium is indigenous to Dalmatia, Montenegro, and 

 Herzegovina, and has been introduced into southwestern Europe and Cali- 

 fornia. The C. corymbosum is native in southern Europe. 



Etymology. — Chri/santhemum is from the Greek xp^<^os, gold, and Hvdos, a 

 flower, due to the yellow color of some of the species. Cnnipum, the specific 

 name, is Latin for " fleshy," possibly derived from the thick fleshy leaf of this 

 species. Roseum refers to the color of the flower. The name cinerariifhfium, 

 from the Latin word cinis, ashes, and folium, leaf, ash-leaved, is due to an 

 ashy down, with which the leaves are clothed. Wilmoti is for Wilmot. 

 Rotundifolium, from rotundus, round, and/oZ/i/Hj, a leaf, round-leaved. 



History. — The use of these flowers as an insecticide was known to the 

 ancients in the countries of Asia, but their introduction as articles of com- 

 merce in western Europe and America is (piite recent. 



It is advertised under tlie name of Tersian I'owdcr, but very extravagant 

 claims are made for the Dalmatian Powder. 



Use. — The insect-powder is scattered about the flower, or blown into cracks 

 and crevices where the insects liide. It is especiallv useful in the destruction 

 of croton bugs, roaches, fleas, the house-fly, mos(piitos, spiders, ants, etc., and 



Chrysanthemum 



CARNEUM 



(Chrysanthemum). 



