Scabiosa.\ DIPSACE/E. 



Ill 



short or elongated, entire, toothed, or often ending in hairy or 

 feathery and pappus-like bristles. Corolla of one petal, in- 

 serted at the mouth of the tube of the calyx, rarely ringent, 

 often somewhat unequal, 4 — 5-cleft. Stamens 4, inserted into 

 the tube of the corolla, alternate with its lobes, almost always 

 distinct : anthers 2-celled. Style filiform : stigma simple, 

 longitudinal or capitate. Fruit indehiscent, membranaceous, 

 or somewhat bony, crowned with the limb of the calyx, often 

 covered by an involucellum or outer calyx, 1-celled, 1-seeded. 

 Seed pendulous. Albumen fleshy. Embryo straight : radicle 

 superior.— Herbaceous plants or under shrubs. Leaves opposite 

 or ichorled. Flowers collected upon a common receptacle, and 

 surrounded by a many-leaved involucrum. 



1. Dipsacus. Linn. Teasel. 



Involucellum with four sides, and eight little excavations. 

 Calyx with a somewhat cyathiform limb. Stigma longitu- 

 dinal. Leaflets of the involucre longer than the bracteae. 

 Receptacle with spiny paleee. — Name from Bety-cav, to be 

 thirsty ; the upper connate leaves containing water in their 

 hollows. Tetrandria. Monogynia. 



I. D. sylvestris, Linn. Wild Teasel. Leaves opposite, 

 rarely connate ; scales of the receptacle straight at the extre- 

 mity ; involucre curved upwards. Br. Fl. 1. p. 60. E. Fl. v. 

 1. p. 193. E. Bot. t. 1032. 



Borders of fields, hedge banks, and way-sides, frequent. Plentiful 

 at the black quarries near Clontarf Crescent, and other places on the 

 north side of Dublin. Fl. July. $ .—Heads large, encompassed and 

 overtopped by the long leafy involucrum. This is supposed to be the 

 origin of the cultivated Teasel, (D. fullonum,) which differs from it 

 in having the leaves more regularly connate and the scales of the calyx 

 hooked at the points. 



2. Scabiosa. Linn. Scabious. 



Involucellum nearly cylindrical, with eight little excavations. 

 Calyx with a limb consisting of five setae, occasionally partially 

 abortive. Coulter. — Name from Scabies, leprosy ; an infu- 

 sion or decoction of some of the species having formerly 

 been employed in curing cutaneous diseases. 



Tetrandria. Monogynia. 



1. S. succisa, Linn. DeviVs-bit Scabious. Corolla in four 

 equal segments ; heads nearly globular; stem-leaves distantly 

 toothed. Br. Fl. 1. p. 61. E. Fl. v. i. p. 194. E. Bot. t. 



878. 



Meadows and pastures, common. Fl. July, Aug. %. — Root as if 

 rut off abruptly, or bitten, (radix prmmorsa). Stems nearly simple. 



