or several series. Corolla monopetalous, inserted on the top of the calyx tube, neurumphi-
petalous, that is, the petals are furnished on the margins with nerves, whence there usually
appear only 5 nerves in the tube (two and two united), extending from the base to the divisions,
and ten in the limb, one on each margin of each lobe; to these are sometimes added, but
very rarely visible, accessory nerves occupying the middle of the petals. The length of the
tube from the base to the point of apparent attachment of the filaments is various. The throat
is often dilated from the insertion of the filaments to the lobes: the lobes are usually 5, more
rarely 4, S, or 2, valvate in aestivation; sometimes they are all equal, sometimes more or less
unequal or irregular, or palmated, or two-lipped (the outer lip formed by the cohesion of
3 lobes, and the inner of 2 ; or the outer of 4 and the inner of 1, sometimes divided by
a single fissure on the interior side, and then all are united into a single, flat, 5-toothed,
strap-like petal. Stamens 5, rarely 4, wanting, or rudimentary, in female or sterile flowers:
filaments alternate with the lobes of the corolla and therefore congruent with the nerves of
the tube; attached to the tube of the corolla and free above; either altogether distinct or
united into a tube (monadelphous), jointed near the apex, the upper joint antheriferous and
occupying the place of a connective. Anthers erect, united into a tube round the style,
( Syngenesia or Synantherea), linear, 2-celled, opening within by a longitudinal slit, 4-valved;
valves bent outwards (extroflexis) terminating in an appendix or wing, varying in different
plants in the size and shape, often differing in consistence from the polleniferous portion: the
base often lengthened into two tails, varying in length and shape. Pollen globose, or elliptic,
echinulate or smooth. Ovary of one carpel, adhering to the calyx, with 1 ovule. Style terete
or rarely thickened at the base (bulbosus), in male flowers, when present, often most simple;
in female and hermaphrodite ones two-cleft; the branches (commonly called stigmas) flat
above, convex below, sometimes altogether free, sometimes more or less united. Stigmatic
glands, or true stigmas, in a double row, seated on the upper surface of the branches
of the style, the rows continuous, marginal, roughish, more or less prominent or distinct.
The upper parts of the style, of hermaphrodite flowers, furnished with rigid pollen-collecting
hairs, seated either on the apex of the branches, or on their lower side; which
are wanting in female or neuter flowers.
The fruit, or achasnium, consists of the calyx tube, with the pericarp and seed coat more
or less intimately united between themselves, and enclosing the embryo. The fruit is
therefore 1-celled and 1-seeded, articulated with the receptacle, usually sessile, but sometimes
stipitate, furnished at the base with a basilar or lateral areola; erostrate or beaked
at the apex, surmounted by the pappus, terminated by an epigynous disk embracing a
styliform or hollow central nectarium, continuous with the ovary. Seed erect, attached
to the bottom of the fruit by a very short funiculus. Interior lamina of the seed coat
Endopleura (albumen of Lessing), thickish, soft, diaphanous, perforated by the diaphanous
funiculus. Embryo straight, radicle short, straight; cotyledons flat, often somewhat convex
on the back, rarely curved, occasionally, by accident, three.
I nflorescence. Flowers collected into a capitulus, or glomerulus (the old compound
flower). A Capitulum consists of a number of flowers, attached to a receptacle, or
apex ^ of a branch (a condensed spike), sometimes flat, sometimes conical, or elongated, the
exterior or lower ones opening first. Flowers either all hermaphrodite, the capitulus is then
Homogamous; or the exterior ones are female or neuter, the interior ones hermaphrodite,
Heterogamous; or all, on the same plant, are either male or female, the capitula are then
Monoicous; sometimes they are Heterocephalous, that is, in the same plant some are male
some female; sometimes they are Dioicous, that is, the capitula of the plant are either all
male or all female. Some capitula have all the flowers tubular, and are then discoid or
flosculose, or they are all strap-shaped, and are then called Ligulatce or Semiflosculosce, or
sometimes the flowers of the margin or ray are ligulate, and those of the centre or disk
tubular, when they are called radiate. Sometimes all are bilabiate and are then falsely-discoid
or radiatiform. Discoid and falsely-discoid capitula sometimes have the marginal flowers like,
but larger than the centre ones, and are then said to be crowned.
The I nvolucrum, formerly called common calyx, consists of a number of leaves or
scales, forming either one or several series, free or united by the margins, dry, scariose,
coriaceous, fleshy, prickly, or leafy: often furnished with an appendix. These series are
either equal or unequal, imbricated or caliculate, or variously elongated.
A glomerulus is a capitulum with one or few flowers, furnished with a proper involucrum,
variously aggregated, enclosed in a general involucrum, seated on a general receptacle,
the central ones flowering first, the exterior ones later or flowering out of the usual order.
The Receptacle is either paleaceous, having a chaffy scale, similar to those of the
involucrum, at the exterior side of each flower—these are articulated at the base, and
sometimes, in a state of monstrosity, expand into true leaves; or semipaleaceous, the exterior
circles of flowers only having them; or they are epaleaceous or naked. In some
capitula the receptacle is said to be Jimbriliferous, that is, each flower is embraced at
the base by an irregular scaly margin; or abveolate, appearing as if honeycombed, not produced
into bristles, but often denticulate; or, lastly, they are areolate, where a pentagonal
areola surrounds the base of each flower.
Vegetation. The plants of this family are usually herbaceous perennials, or shrubs;
rarely trees; distributed all over the world, and constituting nearly one-tenth part of the
vegetable kingdom. Leaves alternate or opposite, most various in their forms and divisions,
but always simple, not compound. The stems (when simple), or the branches terminated by
a capitulum or glomerules: the branches usually corymbose, the centre ones flowering first.
The leaves under the capitula, differ from the others, and called floral or bractial, sometimes
gradually passing into scales, or abruptly changed into much larger scales. Corolla sometimes
yellow sometimes blue in the same capitulum; Homochromous, if all are of one colour,
■ Heterochromous if of different colours. When heterochromous the ray is always blue,
the disk yellow, or the disk also becomes blue when, by monstrosity, the disk florets
become ligulate. The proper Juices are various, sometimes milky. Taste usually bitter,
astringent, or aromatic. D. C. Prod.
Under this head I know not what to say. Viewed as a whole, the
linnts of the order are so strictly defined that it may justly be said to stand alone in
the midst of the vegetable kingdom, like a large island in the midst of the ocean, with
a few smaller ones m the neighbourhood, but still quite distinct from all. Affinities, more
or less close, it certainly has, but none, so far as I am aware, with which it can be
confounded, the only genus referred to it, which does not at first sight proclaim itself
a member ^ of the family, being Xanthium, and it differs so widely in general appearance
and even m some points of structure, that I cannot help wondering at its being permitted
to retain its place. 5 r
Many plants have capitate inflorescence, and some have their florets bound by an
involucrum, seated on a receptacle, and with even a pappus calyx, as, for example, Dip-
sacece, but they want the venation of the corolla, the valvate aestivation, the usually
co ering anthers, and erect ovules of Composite. Some, as Lobeliacece, have cohering
an hers, but differ in almost every thing else. Many have valvate aestivation, but none
nave it combined with the peculiar venation and united anthers of this family. Solitary
erect ovules are also met with, but uncombined with any other of the essential characters
ot the order. Thus we see that more remote affinities abound, but really near relations
still require to be sought for.
In explanation of the very important doctrine embodied in DeCandolle’s term Corolla
weuramphipetala, I shall here introduce an extract from Mr. Brown’s admirable paper on
ompositse, published in the 12th Vol. of the Linnsean Transactions, which details the
tacts on which it rests.
^ke whole of Composite agree in two remarkable points of structure of their
orolla; which, taken together at least, materially assist in determining the limits of
e clagg. The first of these is its valvular aestivation; this, however, it has in common
. se™ral °^aer families.^ The second I believe to be peculiar to the class, and hither-
unnoticed. I t consists in the disposition of its fasciculi of vessels or nerves; these,