Plate 251 1. 



ERYNGIUM COLUMNARE, Uem*l 



Umbkllifer.e. 



E. columnare, Hemsl (sp u inn-.); inter species armataa foliis 

 anguste lanceolatis ob receptaculum valde elongatum insignia. 



Perenne? omnino glabrum, caulibus erectis circiter 18 poll, altis 

 (forsan interdum altioribus) saepe semel trichotomis. Folia (radicalia 

 primaria non visa) coriacea, rigida, sessilia, lanceolata, inferiora 4-6 

 poll, longa, superiora sursum gradatim minora, spinoso-dentata, spin is 

 geminatis, altera minuta altera usque ad 61in. longa, spinoso-acuminata, 

 suprema sub opposita. Capitula erecta, longe pedunculata, subcylin- 

 drica, [-1 } poll. longa. Involucri braeteat 9-10, rigidae, lineari-lanceo- 

 latse, 4-12 lin. longa 1 , ssepius medium versus bidentatse, interdum inte- 

 gral, pungentes, demum reflex se. Palea lanceolate, pungentes, flores 

 superantes, incurve. CaJycis denies ovato-oblongi, brevissime apicu- 

 lati. Styli longissimi, suberecti. Carpella trialata, alis apice pro- 

 duces ; vithe sa-pe 5, qtiarum 2 commissurales. — E. pectination, 

 Benth. PI. Hartw. p. 38, vix Presl. 



Mexico : without locality, Graham, 217 ; Bates. 



This is one of four or five different species which have been referred 

 in various herbaria and books to E. pectinatvm, Presl., of which I 

 have seen no authenticated specimen ; but from the imperfect descrip- 

 tion, I am rather confident that the present plant cannot be that 

 species. In the description of E. pectinatum, Presl (DC. Prodr. iv. 

 p. 96) We find : c involucri fotioli* . basi grosse spivoso-dentatis' and 

 'valde accedit ad E. bromeli a folium' ; but E. columnare much more 

 closely resembles B. eymosum, Delar. (E. axillittorum, Turcz.) Indeed 

 the foliage is very similar, but the habit and fruit are different. The 

 plant referred by Hooker and Arnott (Bot Beech. Voy. p. 293) to E. pecti- 

 natum is also very near ; the heads are globose, however, and the fruit 

 clothed all over with cellular scales.— W. Bottixg Hkmsley. 



Tig. 1, a pale ; 2, a young fruit ; 3, cross section of the same.— All enlarged. 



