COMPOSIT^E 



4. C. Cyanus (Cornflower, Blue-bottle). — One of the prettiest of 

 flowers, I — 2 feet high ; stem erect, slender, grooved, slightly 

 branched, cottony ; leaves linear-lanceolate, the lower ones 

 toothed ; heads about an inch across ; involucre egg-shaped, 

 cobwebby ; bracts with toothed, membranous margins ; receptacle 

 with silvery bristles ; ray-florets few, large, bright blue ; disk-florets 

 with dark purple anthers. — Cornfields ; frequent. When mixed 

 with Poppies and yellow Corn-marigolds, it forms as brilliantly 

 coloured a bouquet as can be imagined. Children sometimes 

 string the outer florets with a needle and thread into a wreath, 



which, when pressed, will 

 retain its colour for a long 

 while. Recently expanded 

 flowers should be chosen, 

 or they will fade. — Rose- 

 coloured, white, and dark 

 purple varieties are com- 

 mon in gardens, and are 

 occasionally found wild. 

 — Fl. July, August ; and, 

 in turnip-fields, again in 

 October and November. 

 Annual or Biennial. 



5. C. paniculdta, with a 

 loosely corymbose stem, 

 rather cottony, and cylin- 

 dric heads of pinkish 

 florets, and 



6. C. aspera, a prostrate 

 species, with long, slender 

 branches, linear leaves, ter- 

 minal, solitary heads, 3 — 5 

 spines to each outer bract, 



and purple florets, are confined to the Channel Islands. 



7. C. Calcitrapa (Common Star-Thistle). — A stout, spreading, 

 stiff, branched species ; leaves pinnatifid, bristle-pointed ; heads 

 lateral, sessile ; bracts each ending in a long, stiff, spreading, 

 yellow spine, channelled along its upper surface ; florets rose- 

 purple. — Gravelly and sandy places in the south ; rare. The 

 spines resemble the cruel iron instrument called Caltrops, which 

 was used to lame cavalry horses in war, the instrument being so 

 constructed that, in whatever position it lies, one point sticks 

 upwards. — Fl. July, August. Annual. 



2>* C. solstitidlis (Yellow Star-Thistle), with 5^ew5 winged by the 



cich6rium i'ntybus {Wild Chicory, or Siiccory). 



