Q.Students were on the excursion to a botanical garden. They noted following observation. Will you be able to help them in understanding those conditions? Teacher showed them Marigold flower and said it is not one flower. What the teacher meant?

Step 1. What is popularly called a single 'marigold flower' is, structurally, an inflorescence — a specialised flowering axis carrying many individual flowers (florets) crowded together on a flattened base.

Step 2. These numerous florets include some that are neuter, as this chapter notes for the ray florets of Tagetes (marigold) — florets in which both reproductive whorls are absent — arranged around the margin, along with fertile florets in the centre. …

Recall that marigold's ray florets are described as neuter florets in this chapter, which is only meaningful …

• Treating the marigold head as a single large flower rather than a crowded inflorescence of many florets. …