224 THE COMPOSITE FAMILY. PROTA 
branches bearing the stigmas. Fruit a small, dry, seed-like 
nut, usually called an achene, crowned by the pappus or some- 
times naked. 
The most extensive family among flowering plants, and represented in 
every quarter of the globe and in every description of station. It is also 
most easily recognized. The ligular florets are unknown in any other family, 
and when the florets are all tubular, Composite are distinguished from 
Dipsacee, and the few others which have similar heads of florets, by the 
union of the anthers. In Jasione indeed the anthers are slightly united, 
but there, besides other characters, the ovary and eapsule have two cells 
with several seeds. The genera are very numerous, and the characters are 
often taken from differences in the achenes and in the pappus which crowns 
them, which cannot well be observed until the fruit is ripe. It is therefore 
particularly necessary, in Composite, in collecting specimens for determi- 
nation, to gather such as have the most advanced flower-heads, and these 
will always be found in the centre of the corymb. 
Florets all ligulate (Ligunatm) ., } Te ea oy } : - 38 
1 ae all tubular 
2 
Florets tubular in the disk or centre of "each pane the outer ones either ligulate 
and forming a ray, or slender and filiform (CORYMBIFER 2) : 5 
Involucre or leaves prickly. gk slightly pues wees the branches (Crna- 
24 ROIDEZ) i - . 30 
Involucre and leaves not prickly “ . ° , , : : . > 
3 f Florets purple, blue, or white . - : . 4 
Florets yellow or greenish, usully ‘small (Conruprrnna . ; : é . 8 
4 ‘ Leaves opposite 4 . : . 1, HUPATORIUM. 
Leaves alternate or radical (CXNAROIDER) . : ‘ ; } ‘ : » 30 
CORYMBIFERZ. 
Leaves opposite ‘ : ¢ 2 : és i ; , : A » 6 
6 ores alternate or radical , 7 
Flower-heads few, rather large, yellow. Pappus of a few 
bristles. . 11. BIDENs. 
pea discoid, ‘that is ‘all the florets of the head tubular or filiform, the antes 
7 
{ Flower-heads small, numerous, purple. Pappus of many hairs 1. EUPATORIUM, 
6 
not longer than the central ones : 
Flowers radiate, the outer florets ligulate and spreading, or, if ‘erect, longer than 
the central ones. . . . 19 
j Achenes without a pappus, or crowned by a small cup or short scales ‘ ore. 
Achenes bearing a pappus "of hairs ¢ . 12 
Flower-heads moncecious, the males with many tubular florets, the females 
forming a thick burr, ending i in 2 conical beaks, and enclosing 2 flowers. 
: 10. XANTHIUM,. 
10 
Flower-heads all alike . 
j Receptacle bearing scales between the florets. Plant covered with a dense 
0 
white cotton. Leaves entire or toothed . . 16. Drotis. 
No scales between the florets. Leaves, at least the lower ones, much divided 11 
Flower-heads hemispherical, 3 or 4 lines in SE in a large terminal 
corymb. Achenes angular, witha flattop . . . 17, TANACETUM, 
11 Plomee neni small, often nodding, in a leafy raceme or re Achenes 
obovate, contracted at the top. : . ARTEMISIA, 
wok we of the involucre linear, equal in length, with a few 3 small Se 
ones > : < 
tpelore of the involucre imbricated i in two or more rows , . 14 
Radical leaves large, broadly heart-shaped or orbicular. Stem-leaves small and 
asf narrow . . . . : . : . . 19. TussIL~aGgo. 
Leaves pinnate and toothed ; ' 20. SENECIO. 
also cottony, or shining and scarious, orcoloured at theedge . . . 
ii { Plants more or less covered with a white cotton or down. “Involucral bracts 
Plants not woolly. Involucral bracts narrow and green. . . .o «Jf 
