what is the difference between ray floret and disc floret? and Leucospermum reflexum var. luteum #8

what is the difference between ray floret and disc floret?

major difference between the two


inflorescence best answer:

Answer by monalisa three
The most common characteristic of all these plants is an inflorescence or flower head; a densely packed cluster of many small, individual flowers, usually called florets (meaning "small flowers").

small flower with a flat strap-shaped corolla usually occupying the peripheral rings of a composite flower
ray flower
The outer perimeter of a flower head like that of a sunflower is composed of florets possessing a long strap-like petal, termed a ligule; these are the ray florets. The inner portion of the flower

The inner portion of the flower head (or disc) is composed of small flowers with tubular corollas; these are the disc florets. The composition of

inflorescence

Leucospermum reflexum var. luteum #8


Best viewed @ large size

Proteaceae - Western Cape Province, South Africa
Rocket Pincushion; Yellow Rocket Pincushion

Shown: Mature inflorescence with all flowers fully reflexed, suggesting a rocket (or, perhaps, a shuttlecock)

"Leucospermum reflexum is a rounded, silvery grey-leaved shrub up to 4 m tall with either yellow (var. lutea) or deep orange to crimson (var. reflexum) flower heads which flower from spring to midsummer in the southern hemisphere (August to December). The more or less elliptic, simple leaves are covered with dense grey hairs. They are about 20-55 x 5-13 mm, with 2-3 glandular teeth at the tip. The rounded flower heads occur at the ends of the branches and are between 80-100 mm across.

"Each flower is tube-like and made up of velvety floral parts called the perianth segments on which the anthers are placed. These surround the long style which escapes from the tube to form the 'pin' and the perianths then curl away from it. Young flowers are curved to start with, and then bend back toward the stem as they mature. The common name of rocket pincushion is very apt because these downward bent styles look like the fiery tail of a rocket trailing behind it. For the same reason, the Afrikaans name perdekop is a good one as the mature flower head looks like a horse's head with its mane blowing back in the wind." (www.plantzafrica.com)

Additional views:
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Photographed in U.C. Botanical Garden at Berkeley - Berkeley, California

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