Tlie Flora of Glamorgan. 97 



C. pratensis. If allowed to seed, young plants spring up around the 

 old ones in abundance. Great quantities of seed are set. In 1908 

 I saved the seeds separately of 35 heads, taken from two antl three 

 year old specimens and from one old plant, six or more years old. 

 The seeds — all sound — were counted separately for each head, the 

 number ranging from 31 to 208, with a total of 4,528 seeds, or an 

 average of 129. It is certain, then, that our plant breeds true, sets 

 seeds freely which germinate well, and furnishes no evidence of 

 hybrid origin. 



862. pratensis, Willd. Meadow-Thistle. 

 Local. Abundant. Native. Uliginal. 



Although local, the localities recorded are very numerous and 

 scattered all over the county. Grows in a soil black with humus. 

 Rather infrequent in the Vale of Glamorgan, for which alone the 

 records are given. Pendoylan ! I. Creigiau. D. Peterston. M.A.D. 

 Llandough. J-E. Llanishen ! Lisvane ! Pencoed. J.S. Pyle ; 

 Porthcawl ; Cadoxton. Ridd. Sully Moors ! Welsh St. Donats ! 

 Penarth ! 



865. acaulis, Willd. Dwarf Thistle. 

 Local. Abundant. Native. Pascual. 



Absent apparently from the coal measures, and more frequent 

 in the lowlands than would appear from the scanty records. 



Briton Ferry. Gutch. Phyt. 1842. p. 121. Barry Island ! 

 and Sully. J.S. Southerndown. Miss B., V. and N. Pendoylan. 

 I. Cefn On ! V. Lavernock ! Dinas Powis ! Leys to Llantwit 

 Major ! Ed. Paviland ; Barry to Aberthaw ; Nash Point. Ridd. 



The caulescent state is simply due to luxuriant growth. Many 

 of the plants of a colony in my garden had branched stems 9 inches 

 high, although the seeds were obtained from typical acaulis, growing 

 on the sterile soil of the Cross Common, Dinas Powis. 



866. arvensis, Hoffm. Creeping Thistle. Ysgallen gyffredin yr ar. 

 Common. Abundant. Native. Agrestal, viatical, etc. 



b. mitis, Koch. Port Talbot ; Cwmdare. Ridd. Penlline ! U.C.Hb. 

 d. setosus (Bess.) Taffs Well. sp. U.C.Hb ! ! Mr. Chapman. 



Onopordon, Linn. 229. 



867. Acanthium, Linn. Scotch Thistle. Ysgallen gottymmog. 

 Local. Scarce. Alien ? Viatical. 



Southerndown, frequent. Miss B. Penllergare. G.T. Aberthaw. 

 M.A.D. and V. Near Sully Island, growing vigorously. 1902. 

 T.H.T. Penarth ! H. Llantwit Major, very rare, but looking 

 quite native. Ridd. 



Most correspondents record it as an escape or casual, and such 

 it may well be regarded in all cases. Thistle seed may be carried a 

 considerable distance under favourable conditions. 



