CLASS SYNGENESIA. 
231 
is used, because the pistils in the ray, being unaccompanied with 
stamens, are said to be unnecessary or superfluous. 
This order is divided into two sections. 
1st. Flowers without rays, or the ray florets indistinct ; here 
we find the tansey, and the life-everlasting ; of the latter there 
are many species. 
The Artemisia, a genus which includes the wormwood and 
southern-wood, both exotics, has but few native species. The 
name Artemisia is often improperly given to an ornamental 
plant, which belongs to the genus Chrysanthemum. The 
genus Artemisia, was named in honor of Artemis, the wife of 
Mausolus, whose monument was one of the wonders of the 
world, (hence our word Mausoleum.) Pliny observes that wo- 
men have had, also, the glory of giving names to plants.”* 
The 2d section of the order superflua, includes such flowers 
as have flat or ligulate petals, arranged around the middle or 
disk of the flower; these are called rays. The receptacles in 
this section are naked, that is, the top of the stem is found, on 
removing the different parts of the blossom, to be smooth, with- 
out any hairs or down, such as you may see on the dandelion 
after the petals have fallen off. We here find the star-flower, 
(Aster,) a genus in which 120 species have already been dis- 
covered, more than 60 of which are natives of the United States. 
These are not often seen in blossom until June and July ; they 
appear in flower until the approach of winter. Many of these 
flowers are highly beautiful ; the different species present a 
great variety of rich and delicate coloring, from the dark blue, 
purple, and red, to a pale blue, a light violet and pink, and in 
many cases, a pure white. In some, the yellow prevails ; some- 
times they are variegated, and often the disk and ray are of 
different colors. After having once become familiar with the 
Aster genus, you will seldom fail to distinguish it ; but it is often 
difficult to determine the species. If you meet with obstacles 
in this, you are not to consider your time as lost ; every com- 
parison, and mental research strengthens the mind, and the grea- 
ter difficulties you overcome, the greater will be the advantage, 
in thus accustoming yourselves to nice comparisons, and close 
investigations. 
The golden rod, (Solidago,) is a numerous genus ; the dif- 
ferent species are mostly yc llow ; in one section of these plants 
the flowers are arranged in one sided racemes, in another they 
form small and irregular clusters. This genus will afford you 
* Thornton’s British Flora. 
Two sections — Artemesia — Aster — Advantages of overcoming difficulties 
in the analysis of plants — Golden rod. 
