268 coMPOsiT.E. (composite family.) 



the lowest taperiiifj into a long petiole, the upjjer sessilo. — Marshos, Georgia, 

 Florida, and westward. Aug. - Sept. — Stem 3°-5° liigli. Lowest leaves 1° 

 or more long. 



Tkihe V. CYNAKEiE. Heads discoid ; the jhwcrs idl tubular ; the exterior 

 ones sonu'times enktnjed and iui/-lik-e : style thickened at the summit ; t/ie 

 stigmatic lines extending to the summit nf the branches, without appendages. 



84. CNICUS, 'luurn. Thistle. 



Heads many-flowered, diseuid ; the flowers all similar and ])erfect. Scales 

 of the involucre inil)ricaled in many rows, all but the innermost ones usually 

 spinc-iiointed. Receptacle bri.stly. Achenia oblong, compressed, smooth. 

 I'ajipus uf numerous plumose hairs. — Herbs, with alternate se.ssile or decur- 

 rent mostly pinnatifid and s])in\- leaves. Heads large, subglobose. Flowers 



purple or whitish. 



* Leaves decurrent. 



1. C. lanceolatUS, Iloffm. Stem hairy, branched; leaves pinnatifid, 

 spiny, hirsute above, woolly beneath ; scales of the involucre webby, tipped 

 with strong erect spines ; flowers purple. — Waste ground in the upper 

 districts. Introduced. Sept. (2) — Stem 2° - 3° high. 



* * Leaves sessile, 



■t- Scales of the involucre tipped with spreading sjiines. 



2. C altissimus, Willd. Stem tall, pubescent; the branches leafy to 

 the summit ; leaves rougli-pubescent above, hoary-tomentose beneath, fringed 

 witli fine prickles ; the lowest petioled, pinnatifid ; the upper sessile, entire or 

 pinnately lobed; heads bracted ; scales of the involucre webl)y when young, 

 tijjped with a weak prickle; flowers purple. — Fields and thickets. August - 

 Sept. — Stem 3° -10° high. Heads about 1' iu diameter. Involucre some- 

 what viscid. 



Var. discolor, Gray. Leaves nearly all deeply pinnatifid, tlie divisions 

 narrow, 2 -3-lobed, spine-pointed, and fringed along tlie margins. — With the 

 preceding. 



3. C. Nuttallii, Gray. Stem angled, paniculately branched, smooth or 

 hairy ; the branches naked at the summit ; leaves clasping, soft-hairy, becom- 

 ing smoothish above, pinnatifid ; the numerous spreading lobes lanceolate, 

 3-toothed, tipped with strong spines, and ciliate on the margins ; heads numer- 

 ous, small, bractless ; scales of the involucre appi'cssed, viscid, tipjiod with a 

 short, at length s])reading prickle; corolla white or pale purple. — Dry light 

 soil, Florida to S(jutli Carolina. July- August.. — Stem 3° -8° high. Heads 

 8"- 10" in diameter. 



4. C. Virginianus, Fursh. Stem slender, simple or sparingly branched, 

 hoary-tomentose ; leaves linear, or linear-lanceolate, rigid, smooth above, hoary 

 beneath; the margins revolute, toothed or pinnatifid, and spiny ; scales of the 

 involucre viscid, spiny ; flowers purple. — I'ine barren swamps, Florida, and 

 northward. August - Sept. — Stem 2° - 3° high. Heads ^' in diameter. 



■*- -t- Scales of the involucre spineless, or the outer ones spine-pointed. 



5. C. muticus, Fursh. Stem tall, brandling, commoidy hairy ; leaves 

 with scattered hairs above, pubescent or at length nearly smooth beneath, 



