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.
Also called ray floret.
Origin
1850-55
Examples from the web for ray flower
  • The ray flower nutlets are flattened and winged along their margins.
British Dictionary definitions for ray flower

ray floret

noun
1.
any of the small strap-shaped flowers in the flower head of certain composite plants, such as the daisy Compare disc floret
ray flower in Science
ray flower  
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. Also called ray, ray floret. See illustration at disk flower.