A FEW 
is a circle of yellow straps 
called rays. We might be 
disposed to call them petals, 
but each one is a complete 
corolla. In the sunflower 
and in some other cases 
the ray-flowers have neither 
stamens nor pistils, but in 
the daisy and certain other 
flowers they bear seeds. 
IMPORTANT PLANT FAMILIES 
77 
SECTION OF SUNFLOWER ~ 
Within the circle of ray- 
flowers the entire space is 
Ray-flowers and tubular flowers. 
set with perfect little flowers having a tubular corolla, five 
my 
TUBULAR FLOWER 
OF SUNFLOWER 
Greatly enlarged. a, 
two-cleft stigma; 8, 
style; c, anthers form- 
ing a tube around upper 
end of style; d, corolla; 
eé, ovary orseed. In II 
the corolla and stamens 
have been removed, 
thus showing the slen- 
der style the whole 
length. 
yellow stamens set ina circle and forming 
a little tube around the pistil — which 
consists of the ovary, a long style, and a 
two-branched stigma projecting above the 
rest. In some other composites this sun- 
flower plan is slightly modified; for ex- 
ample, the thistle and the bachelor’s 
button have no rays, but only tubular 
flowers, while the dandelion, double aster, 
daisy, and chrysanthemum have only 
strap-shaped flowers. 
The marked feature of the composites 
is the seed, which is simply a ripened 
ovary, each seed representing a floret. 
In many cases the seed is surmounted by a 
tuft of hairs by which the wind may easily 
carry it a long distance. The dandelion, 
thistle, and goldenrod furnish good illus- 
trations of this ingenious flying machine. 
