COMPOSITE FAMILY 



of fourteen foot in my garden, where one floure was in weight three pound 

 and two ounces, and crosse overthwart the floure by measure sixteen inches 

 broad. — Geraed. 



A careful study of the great flower-head of our Garden Sunflower 

 will make clear the structure of all the composites, since, because 

 of its size, it shows in magnified form all the parts. The tip of the 

 flower stem flattens out into a disk; this is the receptacle, and every 



a. 4'. e.. d. 



Sunflower Blossoms. 



a, the bud; b, the flower shedding pollen; c, the flower 



with stigma receptive; d, the akene maturing. 



composite head has one, large or small. Around the outer rim 

 of the circular disk, arranged as close as is convenient, are the 

 large yellow rays; these constitute the chief beauty of the flower; 

 it is they that attract attention. We call them petals, and so they 

 are, but each one represents, in fact is, a separate and individual 

 flower. In the Sunflower this outer circle of florets have lost both 

 pistil and stamens, are corolla purely for show; but the show is 

 worth while, for it is they who call the bees. All the other florets 

 on the disk are small tubular-flowers crowded row on row in 

 concentric circles; count them and you see that they number 

 hundreds. 



If you observe closely you will find that by the time the large 

 yellow rays are properly in place the outer row of tubular-florets 

 have opened; also that the flowering impulse proceeds from the 

 outer row toward the centre. The disk-florets of any blossoming 

 head may be seen passing through four regular stages. In the 

 centre are unopened buds; next come open florets, the stamens 

 shedding pollen; then we get florets in which the stamens have 



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