■27. COMPOSIT.E. 



95 



OSS 



Heads suraotimcs clustered ; iuvolucral 

 bracts with a short spine and spinules 



piniiately arranged 



Flowers purple. 



Involucral bracts horny with a very long, 

 spreading spine 



Involucral bracts appressed ; spine' 



1. Centaurea solsti- 



tialiS, L. Ycllotv Cockspur. 

 Stiff, erect, wliite-tomentose an- 

 nual; radical leaves lyrate, with 

 deep narrow lobes, the upper 

 ones linear, entire, with wavy 

 edges and decurrent in long, 

 narrow wings ; heads solitary ; 

 involucre urnshaped, outermost 

 bracts small with a few palmate 

 spinules, middle ones ending in 

 a long, spreading, yellow spine 

 with abovit 4 palmate spinules at 

 base, innermost bracts with 

 small, rounded, torn membranous 

 appendage ; akencs shorter than 

 the white pappus ; tlowers 

 yellow. 



Roadsides and cultivated land. 

 — Oct. -Mar. — Mediterranean re- 

 gion ; occasional in northern 

 Europe (St. Barnabifs Thistle 



IIU 



Uti 



Calcitidpa 

 imtiiculata 



in England). 



Centaurea 



G 



melitensis. 



Centaurea solstitialis. 



2. C. melitensis, L. 



MaUi'se Cockspur. Resembles 

 the preceding in appearance and 

 lea^es, but is rough-hairy and 

 not so white, although woolly in 

 the young parts ; heads solitary 

 or 2 or 3 together, sessile among 

 the last leaves; involucre ovoid, 

 middle bracts with a short 

 spreading, reddish spine, bear- 

 ing about 6 pinnate spinules, 

 innermost bracts with lanceolate 

 annendages ; akenes with some 

 loose hairs, and longer than 

 the pappus ; flowers yellow, some- 

 what glandular. 



Pasture and cultivated land. — 

 Sept. -Mar. — Mediterranean re- 

 gion. 



3. C. Caicitrapa, L. Sf<ir 

 Thistle. Downy or Avoolly annual 



