Tap. 8508. 
CENTAUREA crassIrorta. 
Malta. 
Compositar. Tribe CYNAROIDEAE. 
Centaurea, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 477. 
Centaurea crassifolia, Bertol. in Ann. Stor. Nat. vol. ii. p. 359; Fl. Ital. 
vol. ix. p. 428; DC. Prodr. vol. vi. p. 601; species foliis carnosis involucri 
bracteis inappendiculatis valde distincta. — 
Suffru’ex usque ad 50 cm. alta, parce ramosa; caulis dense foliatus, teres, 
glaber. Folia elongato-spathula‘a, apice rotundata, breviter mucronata, 
basi longe attenuata, 6-9 em. longa, 0°75-2°5 em. lata, integra, crassa, 
glabra, nervis lateralibus utrinque 3-4 ascendentibus distinctis. Capitula 
in ramis elongatis 3-4-natis disposita, circiter 4-5 em. expansa; pedunculi 
elongati, usque ad 35 em. longi, parce bracteati, longitudinaliter sulcati, 
circiter 2 mm. diametro, apicem versus leviter incrassati et angulati, 
glabri; bracteae lineares, subfoliaceae. Involuerum ellipsoideo-globosum, 
apice constrictum, 2 em. longum, medio 2 em. latum. Jnvolucri bracteae 
6-7-seriataé, apicem versus gradatim longiores, obtusae, exteriores 
ovato-landeolatae, circiter 38 mm. longac, 2 mm. latae, rigide coriaceae, 
glabrae; interiores lineares, fere 2 cm. longae, 2°5 mm. latae, quam 
interiores tenuiores. Recepticulum dense setosum, setis albescentibus 
circiter 1 em. longis glabr's. Flores numerosi, purpurei rosel vel albi 
(Rouy). Corollae tubus leviter arcuatus, gracilis, 1*5 em. longus, superne 
gradatim expansus, glaber; lobi lineares, obtusi, 7-8 mm. longi. Antherae 
8 mm. longae; filamenta puberula. Pappus biseriatus; setae exteriores 
breves, 1-5-3 mm. longae, barbellatae, interiores usque ad 7 mm. knee, 
etiam minute barbellat:e. Achaenia oblonga, 3 mm. longa, glabra. mg 
longe exsertus.— Centaurea nitida, Nald. ex Bertol. Fl. Ital. vol. ix. B = 
C. spathulata, Zerafa Fl. Melit. vol. i. p. 11, non Ten. Serratula 8 4 a, 
Jauka ex Rouy Ill. Pl. Europ. Rar. p. 5, t. xiv.; Rev. Bot. Syst. 145, t. 4.— 
J. HUTCHINSON. 
The attractive Composite here figured is endemic in 
Malta, where, according to Rouy, it is met with mainly in 
the central portion of the island, more especially in the 
gorges of Wied-Baba near Zurrico and of Wied-Mokbel. 
For its introduction to collections in this country we are 
indebted to Professor G. Henslow, who sent a plant from 
Malta to the Cambridge Botanic Garden in 1894. When af 
a later date the Cambridge plant was lost, it was replace 
by one from the garden of the late Sir Thomas Hanbury at 
La Mortola.. From this plant came the material, sent by 
Mr. Lynch at the request of Professor Henslow, from rae 
_ our drawing has been prepared. At Cambridge, Mr. Lynch 
Aveust, 1913. 
