COMPOSITE (called by Lindley ASTERACKX, and by some botanists SYNANTIIER/E), a natural order of exogenous plants, distinguished by compound or composite flowers, i.e., heads of flowers which are composed of a greater or smaller number of florets (generally of small size) congregated upon a common receptacle, and surrounded by bracts which form a leafy or scaly involucre, so as to resemble single flowers, which name they ordinarily receive. Another very marked characteristic is, that the anthers of each floret cohere into a cylindrical tube. The order contains both herbaceous plants and shrubs; those which are natives of cold climates being generally herbaceous, and those found in warm regions shrubby, or even arborescent. They have alternate or opposite leaves, withont stipules. The florets are either unisexual or hermaphrodite— those of the circumference (or ray) often differing in this respect, as well as in form and 'color, from those of the center (or disk) of the same head. Bracts (Palen) are often interspersed with the florets upon the receptacle. The calyx is superior, closely adhering to the ovary, and essentially united with it, and afterwards with the fruit, its limb either obsolete or membranous, crowning the ripened fruit, often divided into bristles, hairs, and feathers, which form a PAPrUS (q.v.). The corolla is of one petal, superior, either strap-shaped or tubular, both forms often appearing in different parts (ray and disk) of the same flower (or head), sometimes 2-lipped, very often 5-toothed. The stamens are equal in number to the teeth of the corolla, 4 or 5, and alternate with them. The ovary is 1-celled, with a single erect ovule; the style simple, with 2 stigmas; the fruit dry and not opening the seed destitute of albu men.—This is the largest of the natural orders of flowering-plants, containing upwards of 1000 genera, and almost 10,000 known species. They are distributed over all parts of the world; but increase in number from the poles to the tropics, and thence, again, diminish towards the equator. In the Linntean sexual system, they form a distinct class, SYNGENESIA. Jussicu subdivided the order into three sections, and although other subdivisions have been proposed, these are generally recognized as sub orders—CYNA ROCEMIAL.E, having the florets all tubular; having a disk
of tubular florets, surrounded by a ray of strap-shaped florets; and CICBORACE111, having all the florets strap-shaped. The eichoracece abound most in cold, and the corymbiferce in warm climates. The artichoke and thistle are familiar examples of the cynctro cephab r ; the daisy, aster, dahlia, chrysanthettnum, chamomile, and sunflower of the corymbiferce; and the dandelion, chicory, and lettuce of the cichoraceee. By cultiva tion, many of the corymbifera are changed so that the florets of the disk assume the same appearance with the florets of the ray, as may be seen in the dahlia, chrysanthemum, aster, etc., and they are then said to be double, although the change which they have undergone is very different from that which has taken place in double flowers of other kinds. The C. are not, in general, of very great importance in domestic economy or in the arts, although many of them are among cultivated and useful plants. Only a few, as the artichoke, scorzonera, salsafy, Jerusalem artichoke, endive, and lettuce, are used for food, and these are of inferior importance in that respect. A very few, as safflower and saw-wort, afford dye-stuffs; and a very few, as the Jerusalem artichoke and chicory, are occasionally cultivated for food of domestic animals; the use of chicory root as a substitute for coffee is well known. From the seeds of some, a bland fixed oil is expressed—the sunflower, madia, and ram-til being the most important. Many are valuable for their medicinal properties, as chamomile, arnica, wormwood and swab other species of artemisia, elecampane, tussilago, blessed thistle, etc. Many are charac terized by bitterness; stimulating properties are of frequent occurrence; also anodyne, diaphoretic, diuretic, and narcotic properties. Some, as arnica, are very poisonous. A large number are esteemed ornaments of our flower-gardens, particularly in the latter part of summer and in autumn. Amongst these, the dahlia perhaps holds the first place; and others, scarcely less admired, belong to the genera aster and chrysanthemum. The wood of the siriehout (larchonanthus camphoratus), a small tree of the cape of Good Hope, is close-grained, heavy, and very beautiful.