Daisy, Tvhich is very similar to that of Aster. He 
says, “Take one of those little flowers which 
cover all the pastures, and which every body knows 
by the name of Daisy. Look at it well ; for by 
its appearance, I am sure you will be surprised 
wlien I tell you that this flower, which is so small 
and delicate, is really composed of between two and 
three hundred other flowers, all of them perfect ; 
that is, havin" each its corolla, germ, pistil, sta- 
mens, and seed; in a word, as perfect in its species 
as a flower of the hyacinth or lily. Every one of 
those leaves which are white above and red under- 
neath, and form a kind of crown round the flower, 
appearing to be nothing more than little petals, are 
in reality so many true flowers; and every one of 
those tiny yellow things also which you see in the 
centre, and which at first you have perhaps taken 
for nothing but stamens, are real flowers. Pull out 
one of the white leaves from the flower; you will 
think at first that it is flat from one end to the 
other; but look carefully to the end by which if 
was fastened to the flower, and you will see that it 
is not flat, but round and hollow, in form of a tube, 
and that a little thread, ending in two horns, issues 
from the tube ; this thread is the forked style of the 
flower, which, as you now see, is flat only at the top. 
Commonly the yellow florets towards the centre are 
still rounded and closed. These, however, are flow- 
ers like the others, but not yet open ; for they expand 
successively from the edge inwards. This is enough 
to shew you by the eye the possibility that all these 
small atfairs, both white and yellow, may be so ma- 
ny distinct flowers; and tliis is a constant fact.” 
