i)ec. 2, 1908.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. ]029 



Ai)otl]er Bad Weed for New South Wales. 



J. H. MAIDEN. 



Scoly^nus macidatus, L., the "Spotted Golden Thistle." 



Botanical DpHcription. — An annua] large herb with slender roots and 

 much branched stems, especially at the base. 



Stems slightly villous, winged nearly to the base with the broad decurrunt bases of 

 the leaves. 



Lemicfi alternate, stiff, lanceolate in outline, green and shiny, variegated with white 

 spots and margins, crowded at the base, but becoming gradually more distant 

 and shorter on the stem, sinuate-lobed, with thickened margins and irregular 

 strong and sharp marginal prickles. 



Flower-fieait^ soHtary and terminal on the stalks, enclosed in leafy bracts longer than 

 the flowers, and in a few rows of pungent-pointed involucral bracts. 



Flowers golden yellow, all uniformly ligulate. 



Receptacle conical, scaly, the chaffy scales partly enclosing the achenes. 



Achenes without any pappus. 



It is closely allied to Kentrophylluni lanatum [Carthamus lanatus), from 

 which it is chiefly distinguished by the winged stems and branches. It may 

 be looked upon, by non-botanists, as a coai-se edition of that plant, which is 

 figured in the Gazette for May, 1894, p. 298. 



Occurrence in Uurope. — A long description of the plant is given in ISIiller 

 and Martyn's "Gardeners' and Botanists' Dictionary," but this is a description 

 of the appearance of the plants, without economic notes. The only note of 

 interest in this Dictionary is that Johnson says : " I saw this plant in this 

 year (1633) growing in the garden of Mr. John Tradescant, sen., at South 

 Lambeth, London." 



This shows that the plant was ah-eady cultivated in England in 1633. 



In W. Miller's "Dictionary of English Names of Plants" it is called 

 "Spotted Golden Thistle." In the "Gardeners' and Botanists' Dictioiuiry" 

 it is called "Annual Golden Thistle." 



It was evidently cultivated only for its beauty, but not for any economic 

 value. Indeed, I cannot find any redeeming feature except its picturesqueness. 



It is a native of the Mediterranean region. It has not been hitherto 



recorded as a naturalised plant in any of the Australian States so far as I am 



aware. It may originally have been a garden escape. 



Occtirrence in New South Wales. — "This thistle has been known to me for the last 

 fourteen years or more in the neighbourhood of the cattle track, wliicli is on tlie main 

 stock route through Warrah, from Breeza to Sydney, rid Merriwa. I iiave never seen it- 

 anywhere else. We, of course, destroy it and prevent an abundant growth ; otherwise 

 I feel sure it would soon take po3session. Nothing will either eat it or approach it : it is, 

 in fact, the most worthless and most dangerous phmt I have ever met with bclougintr to 

 the thistle family." — ^George Fairbairn, Australian Agricultural Co., Warrah, Willow 

 Tree.) 



Mr. Ogden, manager of West Warrah, knew of the plant for several years 



prior to the 1902 drought. 



