92 
DAISY. 
In Yorkshire, this plant is called Dog-daisy 
and Bainwort: and in Scotland, Gowan, a 
name which in that country is also applied to 
the dandelion, hawkweed, &c. 
“ The opening gowan wet with dew,” 
The structure of the Daisy is thus vividly 
and beautifully described, in Rousseau’s Let¬ 
ters on Botany:— 
“Take one of those little flowers, which at 
this season cover all the pastures, and which 
every body knows by the name of the Daisy. 
Look at it well; for, by its appearance, I am 
sure you will be surprised when I tell you 
that this flower, which is so small and deli¬ 
cate, is really composed of between two and 
three hundred other flowers, all of them 
perfect: that is, having each its corolla, 
germ, pistil, stamens, and seed ; in a word, 
as perfect in its species as , a flower of the 
Hyacinth or Lily. Everyone of those leaves 
which are white above and red underneath, 
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. If your fingers 
were already exercised in botanical dissections, 
and you were armed with a good glass and 
plenty of patience, I might convince you of 
the truth of this : but at present you must 
begin, if you please, by believing me on my 
word, for fear of fatiguing your attention upon 
