ray flower

noun

, Botany.

1. one of the marginal florets surrounding the disk of tubular florets in the flower heads of certain composite plants, as the daisy.

ray flower

1. One of the narrow flowers, resembling single petals, that surround the central disk in the capitulum or flower cluster of a plant of the composite family (Asteraceae or Compositae), such as the daisy or sunflower. Rays are often male flowers with sterile stamens.
2. Also called ray ray floret

Word History and Origins

Origin of ray flower¹

First recorded in 1850–55