Cotumna, who has taken great, pains to prove the identity of 
this plant with the one so called by Dioscoripes, Tuxo- 
purastus, and Pury, with more probability attributes the 
name rather to its similarity to a distaff loaded with wool 
ready for spinning, than to its being actually used as such. 
Gezrtner, who does not consider it to belong to the genus 
Cartuamus, retains the name of ATRAcTYLIs. 
Either this plant varies much with respect to its woolliness, 
or CartTuAmus creticus has been very generally confounded 
with it. In our specimens received from Mr. Lamperr’s col- 
lection at Boyton, the pubescence was so long as to hang 
pendent from the heads and upper part of the stalk, not 
unaptly resembling a distaff with wool. | 
Native of the South of Europe. A hardy annual. Culti- 
vated by Mr. Jonn Grrarp in 1596. 
