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Inflorescences

 16-Head (capitulum)

[FMP-field: image]
Head or Capitulum- an inflorescence with sessile flowers aggregated into a dense cluster like the head of a pin. Characteristic of the aster or sunflower family (Asteraceae).

In the photos on the left are several heads of Short's aster (Aster shortii), while on the right is a longitudinal section of a single head. In this particular kind of head, there are two types of flowers-ray and disc.

Photos by K. R. Robertson and D. L. Nickrent of plants cultivated at the University of Illinois.
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