LETTER XVII. 



COMPOSITE FLOWERS — THE RIBGRASS TRIBE. 



(Plate XVII.) 



Before I come to my promised analysis of the 

 orders of Monopetalous plants I must beg you to 

 give your attention to two more tribes, in which there 

 are many singular points of structure, and which in 

 particular differs from all that have gone before in 

 having only one carpel in each flower ; a simple 

 and obvious difference, which vou wdll be sure to 

 remember. 



" Take," says Rousseau, whom I shall here follow 

 very closely, " Take one of those little flowers which 

 cover all the pastures, and which every body knows 

 by the name of Daisy. Look at it well ; for I am 

 sure you would have never guessed from its appear- 

 ance, that this flower, which is so small and delicate, 

 is really composed of between two and three hundred 

 other flowers, all of them perfect, that is, each of 

 them having its corolla, stamens, pistil, and fruit; 

 in a word, as perfect in its species as a flower of 

 the Hyacinth or Lily. Every one of those leaves, 

 which are white above and red underneath, and 

 form a kind of crown round the flower, appearing to 



