436 LXXIII. COMPOSITE (OLIVER AND HIERN). [ Centaurea. 
99. CENTAUREA, Linn. ; Benth. et Hook. F. Gen. PI. ii. p. 477. 
Capitula heterogamous, florets tubular or dilated above, outer 1- 
seriate usually larger neuter, or all the florets fertile. Involucre ovoid 
globose or campanulate, bracts oo-seriate imbricate appressed usually 
with a terminal scarious or spinescent apex. Receptacle plane densely 
setose. Style-branches slightly thickened or with a minute papillose 
annulus at the base. Pappus pluri- or oo-seriate, setaceous or more or less 
paleaceous, outer sete shorter, or pappus 0.—Herbs with radical or 
alternate entire toothed or pinnatisect leaves and solitary or variously 
cymose pedunculate or sessile purple rose white or yellow capitula, in 
a few species sheathed more or less by the upper leaves. 
A large genus of the Northern Hemisphere chiefly of the Mediterranean region 
and W. Asia. 
Involucral bracts furnished with a terminal appendix. 
Appendix pectinate, not spinous (Plectocephalus, D. Don). . 
Upper leaves not auriculate. Pappus 4, in. long . 1. C. varians. 
Upper leaves bi-auriculate. Pappus 5 in.long . . 2. C. abyssinica. 
Appendix spinous. 
Terminal spine long. Sete of pappus long and 
slender or 0 (Calcitrapa, Juss.). 
Pappus wanting. . . .. . 
Pappus copious, as long asthe achene. . . . . 
Spines palmate, short. Seta of pappus short, stout, 
compressed, acute (Seridia, Juss.). . 
Leaves oval-oblong, obtuse . . . . . . « « 5. C.rhizocephala, 
8. C. Calcitrapa. 
4. C. senegalensis. 
Leaves linear, acute . . ..... . . . 6. C, precox. 
Involucral bracts mucronate without appendix. Pappus 
containing rather long obiuse palee (Microlon- 
chus, Cass.). 
Capitula cymose. Involucral bracts thinly arachnoid . 
and seabrid . . . 7. C. Hochstettert. 
Capitula solitary. Involucral bracts thinly cottony on 
the margin, not scabrid . . . 8. C. somalensis. 
1. G. varians, A. Rich. Fl. Abyss. i. p.453. Anascending nearly 
glabrous perennial, 4-15 in. high. Stems decumbent at base, striate, 
terete, shining, puberulous, simple or nearly so. Radical leaves ellip- 
tical, obtuse, denticulate, somewhat scabrid on the margins, attenuate 
at the base into short petiole, 2-5 by 4-14 in.; upper leaves sessile, 
gradually smaller and more lanceolate, not auriculate. Capitula solitary 
pedunculate, campanulate, 1 in. long or nearly so; peduncle ranging 
up to 4 in. Involucral bracts appressed, oblong-lanceolate, yellow 
going off into a black lanceolate appendix which is decurrent on bot 
sides and pectinate with pale cilia rather longer than the width of the 
appendix. Ligule of the ray-florets purple. Pappus 7'z in. long, seta- 
ceous, tawny.—Plectocephalus cyanoides, Boiss. Diagn. ser. 1» il. 
p. 62. 
Nile Land. Abyssinia, Ouodgerate, Petit! Tchélatchekanné, @. Dillon ; 
Schimper ! alt. 9,300 ft., Plowden! Salt! 
2. ©. abyssinica, Schultz Bip. ex Boiss. Diagn. ser. ii., iil. P- S : 
A robust erect scabrid perennial, 2-5 ft. high. Stems simple or nearly 
