"Flower head" redirects here. For the band, see Flowerhead.
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence.[1] Flower heads found outside Asteraceae (such as those of Eryngium or Jasione) shows lesser degrees of specialization.
Diagram of a flower head. Note bracts surrounding the flowers, which would be absent on a capitulum.
Flowers open in succession in head of a sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
Close up of the ray corolla of a Hieracium lachenalii; every "petal" is actually a separate five-petaled flower complete with its own stamens and making its own fruit.
References
^ Hutchinson, John (1964). The genera of flowering plants (Angiospermae). Oxford: Clarendon Press. LCCN65-676.
