COMPOSITE, korn-pozli-til (Lat. nom. pl., from compo.situs, p.p. of coat/macre, to put to gether. from coin-, together ponere, to put, from pa-, Gk. ci73, apo, off + sinew, to allow). An order of dicotyledonous plants, variously called the composite family, aster family, sun flower family, and sometimes divided and known as the chicory and thistle families, embracing nearly 1000 genera and more than 11,000 species, making it the largest family of flowering plants. Although a large order, the flowers of the Com positor are so characteristic and distinctive as not to lie confused with those of any other order, the only ones hearing even a superficial resem blance being Dipsacere, represented with us by the teasel.
The flowers of the order Compositar are rather small and are grouped together upon a common receptacle, surrounded by bracts which form a leafy or scaly involucre, so as to give the ap pearanee of a single flower. The common term 'flower' is applied to the aggregation instead of to the individuals making up the so-called 'head.' The flowers, or florets, as they are usually known, are often of two kinds, those of the cen tral part lacing called disk florets, and those the •ircuniference ray florets. These often differ in size, shape, and color. and the disk florets are usually fertile, while those of the ray are often sterile, or at least without stamens. The calyx is united with the.ova•y, and its divisions crown the ovary with awns. teeth, bristles, etc., all of which are called the pappus (q.v.) ; or the pap pus may he wholly wanting. The corolla is situated above the ovary, and is united into a tube (tubular), or may be strap-shaped (ligu late), both forms eouunonly occurring in the same flower, the tubular florets composing the disk, and the ligulate florets the rays of the 'flower.' ['lie corolla may be, and usually is, di vided at its summit into five teeth or lobes. The stamens are usually five in 11111111)er. and are inserted upon the corolla, and are united together by their anthers into a tube around the single style, which is two-cleft at its summit. The ovary is one-celled and one-cavilled, the ovules ripening into a dry fruit Killed an akene or aehene (q.v.). Growing among the flower,: are often found numerous bracts which are spoken of as chaff or palea'. When these are not present, the receptacle is said to be naked. The form of the receptacle may vary from fiat, con vex, conical, or, in some eases, elongated to the length of an inch or more. The form of the corolla, shape of the receptacle, presence and nature of the chaff, arc all important characters in the classification of the members of this order. The plants are herbaceous, shrubby, or even trees, and are found in nearly all parts of the world where plant life exists to any extent, and they frequent almost every condition of soil and surroundings. The tree forms are confined to the tropics, many of the sh•ubhy species occur in hot, dry regions, while the herbaceous species prevail in temperate climates, extending well within the colder zones. In general the leaves
are alternate and without stipules, but are some times opposite or whorled; or they may all be radical, as in the dandelion, etc. Numerous sys tems of classification have been proposed from time to time, that of Hoffmann (with sonic modi fication) being the one most current at present. Hoffmann divides the order into two subo•ders Tabuliflorw. in which the disk florets are never ligulate, and Liguliflorm, in which all the florets are ligulate. The plants of th(• first subdivision do not bear any latex in their stems, while those of the second are conspicuous on account of the milky or reddish-colored jniee which they exude when injured. The first suborder is by far the largest in number of species. The two great di visions are again subdivided into thirteen tribes, as follows: ( I ) Vernoniew. rep resented by the genus Vernonia ; (2) 'Enpatoriea., embracing Ageratum, Eupatorium. and Al ikania : (3) AstPro•, the principal genera of which are Aster. Solidago. Erigeron, Dellis, Eaccharis: cur'.: ( 4 ) O', which contains among its prominent representatives the genera Eluchea, Filago, An tennaria, Gnaphalium, Helichrysum, et•.; (5) Helianthem, represented in our flora by. Helianthus, Silphium. Iva, Ambrosia, Rudbeekia, Fehinaeea, Co•eopsis, Bidens, Xanthiann. Zinnia. Dahlia, etc.; (6) Ilelenica. with Actinella. The lenimn, Tagetes. Gaillnrdia, Dysodia, etc.: (7) .lathclairlecc, which embraces Aebillea, Anthemis, Nialriearia, Chrysanthemum, Tanacetum. Arte (8) Scnecioncw, represented by Seneeio, Petasites, Arnica, Cocalia (0) Calmninlacmc, typified by Calendula ( 10) Arctotitime, repre• stinted by Arctotis, an African and Australian genus; ( 1 ) Cymircw, which embraces the genera Artieum, Cardous:, Cnicus, Cynara, Onopordon, Centaurea, etc. (13) .lLutisiea', not found in the United States, but represented elsewhere by Mutisia, Gerbera, etc.; and LIGULIFLORE,E, with ( 13 ) eichorimr, represented by Cichorium, Tra gopogon, Picric, Ilieraceum, Leontodon, Taraxa cum, Lactuea. Sonehus. Cliondrilla, etc. When the large number of species of this family are considered, a small proportion only, aside from those cultivated for their flowers or foliage, are foind to lie of economic importance. Among the most important may be mentioned chicory, dan delion, lettuce, salsify, artichokes (both globe and Jerusalem), sunflowers, tansy, chamomile, etc. Many are grown for their flowers. When cultivated the disk flowers are often changed in form, and the flowers are then said to be doubled, as in the ease of dahlias, zinnias, asters, chry santhemums, eoreopsis, etc. :Medicinal proper ties are claimed for many, as arnien, wood, elecampane, artemisia. tussilago, blessed thistle, rte. The seeds of a number con tain oil that is of importance, as the sunflower, madia, etc.