96 



27. COMPOSIT/E. 



Centaurea Calcitrapa. 



or biennial with many spreading 

 branches and a thick taproot : 

 radical leaves deeply pinnatifid 

 or bipinnatificl, lobes more or 

 less toothed, stem-leaves with a 

 feAV linear lobes ; heads solitary, 

 surrounded by linear-lanceolate 

 floral leaves ; involucre urn- 

 shaped, outer and middle bracts 

 usually ending in a long, spread- 

 ing, horny, yellow, channeled 

 spine with 4-6 spinules pinnately 

 arranged near the base, inner- 

 most bracts with rounded mem- 

 branous appendage ; akenes 

 streaked with brown ; pappus 

 none; flowers purple. 



Roadsides, waste and culti- 

 vated places. — Nov. - June. — 

 Southern and western Europe. 

 The specific name allv;des to the 

 resemblance of the involucre to 

 the old military caltrop. 



4. C. pa.nicula.ta., L. Tomentose, greyish-green 

 biennial with spreading branches; lower leaves once or 

 twice pinnatisect, Avith narrow segments; heads solitary, 

 usually arranged in a long panicle; involucre small, ovoid- 

 oblong, the bracts .striate, with a short, apprcssod, ciliate 

 appendage at top ; akenes with a short pappus ; flowers 

 purple, the outer row spreading. 



Near Hope Valley Reservoir. — Most of the year. — 

 Mediterranean region. 



22. Kentrophyllum, Necker. 



(Greek kentron, a .spur, and phyllon, a leaf.) 



Outer bracts of the involucre spreading, similar to the 

 stem-leaves; flowers all tubular; akenes obovoid, truncate, 

 subquadrangular, the outer ones without, or almost with- 

 out pappus, inner ones with a pappus of free .scales in 

 .several unequal rows; receptacle ovoid, with long dense 

 bristles. 



1. Kentrophyllum lanatum, DC. Woolly Star 

 Thistle. Erect annual, branching at summit; stem downy 

 with long hairs near base; leaves olive-green, stiff, glandu- 

 lar, .spreading, o-7-nerved below, half-clasping, pinnatifid, 

 with lanceolate, spiny lobes; involucre large, subglobular, 

 the outer bracts like the upper leaves, the middle bracts 

 lanceolate, woolly at base, ending in a spine, and with 

 distant pinnate spinules, innermo.st bracts shorter, 

 lanceolate, almost or quite entire ; akenes yellowish or 



