466 Order 70.— COMPOSITE. 



culcs.) ITcads discoid ; involucre imbricate ; ray flowers longer tban 

 the rest, sterile, often wanting ; receptacle bristly ; pappus of filiform, 

 scabrous bristles in several series. — A genus of oriental herbs with 

 alternate lvs. 



* Scales of the involucre with a fringed or pectinate nppendago Nos. 1, 2 



* Scales of the involucre merely ciliate, or tipped with a spine No*. 8, 4 



1 C. nigra L. St erect, branched, pubescent above ; lower lvs. angular-lyrate, 

 upper lanceolate, dentate, scales ovate, with an erect, capillary, fringed appendage ; 

 ray and disk-As. alike. — 2| A troublesome weed, in meadows and pastures, Mass. 

 St. about 2f high, simple, or oftener divided into elongated branches. Hds. few, 

 large, terminal, solitary. Fringed appendage of the scales dark brown. Fls. pur- 

 ple. Jl, Aug. § Eur. 



2 C. Americana Nutt. St. erect, sulcate, sparingly branched ; lower lvs. oblong- 

 ovate, repand-dentuto, upper ones lanceolate, acute, all sessilo and glabrous; hds. 

 few or solitary, very largo; ped. thickened at summit: ray fls. twice longer than 

 the disk; scales with a pectinate-pinnate, refiexed appendage. — CD Ark. and La., 

 naturalized in 111. (Mead.) Cultivated in gardens. St. 2 to 4f high, with large, 

 showy, pale-purple hds. Appendages straw-color, f 



3 C. Cyaivus L. Bachelor's-button. St. erect, branching, downy ; lvs. linear, 

 entire, downy, the lowest subdentate ; scales ciliate-serrate ; ray flowers much en- 

 larged. — CD Cultivated and sparingly naturalized in old fields. It is a hardy an- 

 nual, justly popular for its handsome flowers which are very variable in color. 

 Hds. ovoid, solitary on the ends of the branches. Jl. — Sept. § Eur. 



4 C. Calcitrapa L. Star Thistle. St. diffusely branched, hairy; lvs. sessile, 

 pinnately lobed, lobes linear, toothed, upper mostly entire; hds. sessile; middle 

 scales tipped with a strong, spreading spine with 1 or 2 minute spines each side ; 

 pappus 0. — 'X) @ "Va. Els. purple. § Eur. 



92. AMBER'BOA, DC. Sweet Sultan. Heads discoid ; involucre 

 imbricated ; ray -flowers wanting or larger than the rest, steri.e ; pappus 

 of oblong or obovate pales, attenuated to the base, all similar, rarely 

 small or 0. — Eastern herbs with alternate lvs. 



1 A. moschata \Villd. Lvs. lyrate-dentato ; invol. subglobous, smooth ; 

 scales ovate; ray-flowers scarcely enlarged, not exceeding the disk; pappus 0. — 

 A haudsome border annual from Persia. Flowers purple. A variety has white 

 flowers. July — Oct. (Centaurea L.) f 



2 A. odorata, a. amboracea. DC. Yellow Sweet Sultan. Lower lvs. 

 broadly subspatulate, dentate, upper lyrate at baso ; hds. globous; ray-fls. en- 

 larged upwards, longer than the disk ; pappus chaffy, a little shorter than the 

 fruit. — From Levant. Leaves scarcely pinnatifid. Flowers yellow, f (Centaurea 

 euaveolens Willd.) 



/?. glauca. Lvs. often deeply pinnatifid ; flowers purple. \ (Centaurea glauea 

 Willd.) 



93. CARTHAMUS, L. Saffron. (Arabic, qorthom, to paint ; from 

 its coloring property.) Heads discoid ; involucre imbricated, outer 

 bracts foliaceous ; flowers all tubular and £ , filaments smooth ; pappus 

 ; receptacle with setaceous pales ; achenia 4-angled. — Oriental herbs. 



C. tinctorina L. St. smooth ; lvs. ovate-lanceolate, sessile, spinous-denticu- 

 late. — 'I) Native of Egypt, but long cultivated in other lands on account of Its 

 orange-colored flowers. Stem branching, striate, 1 — 2f high. Leaves subam- 

 plcxieaul, smooth and shining. Heads large, terminal, with numerous long and 

 slender flowers. The latter are useful in coloring, and as a nursery medicine. 

 July, f 



94. CNTCUS, Vaill. Blessed Thistle. (Gr. Kvl^ax, to prick ; well 

 applied to these herbs.) Heads discoid; involucre ventricous, imbri- 

 cate with doubly spinous scales ; ray-flowers sterile ; receptacle very 



