annual. The plant here figured flowered in the Herbaceous 
ground of the Royal Gardens in June of the present year. . 
Its specific name was given from the similarity in habit 
and aspect to the common sheep’s-bit scabious (Scabiosa 
columbaria). 
Descr. A rather slender annual, a span to two feet high, 
puberulous or softly pubescent all over. Stem four-angled, 
simple or divided at the very base, or once trichotomously 
above. Leaves few, radical long-petioled, oblong, lobulate, 
pinnatifid or bipinnatifid, the divisions obtuse, ultimate 
short, rounded, surface wrinkled, nerves strong beneath ; 
cauline leaves at the base of the branches small, sessile, 
simply pinnatifid. Whorls of flowers solitary or two at the 
end of the stem and branches, one to one and a half inches 
in diameter, dense, hard, many-flowered, outer or involucral 
bracts many, imbricate, a third to half an inch long, rigid, 
broadly ovate, narrowed into stiff recurved spinous points, 
red-purple; inner erect and spinescent; inner bracts 
similar, but more membranous. lowers not exserted 
beyond the bracts. Calyx oblong-cylindric, hispid, strongly 
ribbed, two-lipped one-third of the way down; upper lip 
slightly arched, ending in two awl-shaped teeth, lower lip 
not half as long, recurved also with two awl-shaped teeth. 
Corolla-tube not exserted beyond the calyx; limb deep 
bright blue, one-third of an inch across the lips; upper 
lip two-fid, short, reflexed, lower much larger, three-lobed, 
lateral lobes broad short rounded, terminal broadly obcor- 
date deeply bifid, the divisions Spreading and rounded. 
Anthers not contiguous, connective divisions filiform, the 
upper protruded with a slender anther-cell; lower half as 
long with a thickened tip. Stigmatic-arms long, slender.— 
J.D. H. 
Fig. 1, Flower; 2, the same cut open longitudinally - ; i ; 
fied oie pen longitudinally ; 3, anther; 4, stigma; 
