Botanical Illustration Course- Zinnia Study

Today learned more botanical facts about Zinnia flowers. Did you know that they are native wildflowers in Mexico and the natives thought they were ugly, called them "mal de ojos" or evil eyes? A botanist, Dr. Johann Gottfried Zinn discovered them on a visit to Mexico in the 1750's. The common name is Zinnia, the Botanical name is Zinnia Elegans.
This particular flower that I used as a specimen came from my garden. I didn't get to finish drawing more details on the flower because the flower withered overnight. Will have to learn to draw and observe quicker.
In my last blog I made a comment about the reproductive parts of the flower. I have much to learn, after researching more found out that my observations were incorrect. What I believed to be the female reproductive parts are actually the Disk Flowers or Yellow Corolla. The Stamens with the filaments and anters are the small, round, fingerlike parts that surround the center. The petals of the flower are called Rays. And the small, undeveloped petals I believe are called the Chaffy Scale. The Zinnia is a composite flower because it consists of both ray and disk flowers.