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Radiate

As used in botany, the term radiate is an allusion to sunlight, with imaginary "rays" streaming out from the center of the sun, like a "sunflower".

It is most often used to describe the morphology of various species in the composite family (Asteraceae), which have ray florets arranged around the circumference of a flower head's central disc.

Specifically, a radiate flower head has bisexual disc florets and ray florets around the circumference.  The ray florets may be pistillate (ovule bearing) or neutral, and occur in one or more series around the circumference.  Bisexual or staminate ray florets are very uncommon.  See ray floret for images.

 

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