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Receptacle shape

In the Asteraceae, the enlarged apex of the flowering axis upon which the florets are borne is called a receptacle. In order to see the shape of the receptacle, you must section the head longitudinally. Note that you cannot infer the shape of the receptacle from the shape formed by the disc florets (see bottom illustration). The state illustrations below are outlines based on receptacle longitudinal sections, as representations of receptacle three-dimensional shapes.

flat or nearly flat		convex		conical		spherical

Receptacle bears disc and/or ray florets.