This plant, cultivated in our gardens since 1726, was long 
considered as a Verhesina, but it differs from this genus both 
in its habit and fructification. Here the involucre is decidedly 
formed of 2 leaflets, each, indeed, inclosing a. female flower, 
and the fruit is of two kinds, that of the exterior florets being 
larger than the others, and having the margins curiously laci- 
niated. The receptacle has as many chaff-like scales as there 
are flowers, the outer one the largest, and gradually taking the 
form of the leaflets of the involucre. So that Gartner, who 
established the genus Synedrella, considered the scales of the 
receptacle as an inner calyx or involucre. He was mistaken 
in supposing that there were only 2 ligulate female florets. I 
generally have observed 4 in each flower, and Dillenius de- 
scribes 7 or 8 ; indeed, the inflorescence figured by the latter 
author in the Hortus Elthamensis, is far larger than any that 
has come under my observation. 
We received the seeds of this plant from the West Indies, of 
which it is a native ; and have cultivated it in the stove. The 
flowers appear in July and August, and the seed is plentifully 
produced, although some of the central tubular florets are fre- 
quently abortive. 
Fig. 1. Involucre with its florets. Fig. 2. Female or ligulate floret, with its 
scale. Fig. 3. Tubular or central floret, with its scale. Fig. 4. Peri- 
carp of a central tubular floret. Fig. 5. Pericarp of a female or ligulate 
floret. — All more or less viagnified. 
