501 



appearance in conjunction with the bright purple of the florets and 

 the exotic aspect of the large and formidably armed leaves. With us 

 here, the species is always found at some elevation. I have never 

 remarked it in the lower and flatter parts of the island. 



Carduus arvensis. By road-sides, in rough, waste places, fields, 

 pastures, and neglected gardens, far too abundantly ; an execrable 

 pest in damp corn-fields and cultivated ground, and now as well 

 known and detested in the United States, where it goes universally 

 by the name of Canada thistle or cursed thistle, having been sup- 

 posed to have migrated to that country from Europe, and thence to 

 have spread itself southward and westward with the progress of agri- 

 culture and colonization. 



palustris. In moist meadows, pastures, woods and 



thickets, on ditch-banks, and in other damp or wet situations ; plen- 

 tifully. This and C. arvensis occur here and there with the heads of 

 florets white. 



Forsteri. Damp or boggy places ; very rare. A single 



plant was found growing some years ago by the Rev. G. E. Smith 

 between the Needles (Groves's) Hotel and Alum Bay, witli a dried 

 portion of which he kindly presented me. Mr. Smith's opinion, now 

 become the general one with botanists, is, that C. Forsteri is a casual 

 hybrid betwixt C. palustris and arvensis. I have never seen the 

 plant living, and therefore keep it apart in deference to those who 

 still hesitate to consider it a mule production, although pretty well 

 convinced in my own mind that it is merely such. 



pratensis. In low, damp or boggy meadows, on moist 



heaths, pastures, and in wet marshy woods and thickets, in various 

 parts of the Isle of Wight and county, but not very common ; usually, 

 if not invariably, at or near the sea level ; never in elevated or hilly 

 spots, however humid, so far as I have remarked. Near Ryde, by 

 Quarr Abbey and Fishbourne. Easton Marsh, Freshwater Gate. 

 Near Cowes, Northwood, Newport, Freshwater and other parts of the 

 island, in some places very abundantly. I do not know how far it is 

 common or rare on mainland Hants. I have found it frequent about 

 Southampton in dry ground on the common, as also in a wet meadow 

 at Netley. Titchfield Common ; Mr. W. L. Notcutt. If less showy 

 than some others, this species excels all our native thistles in the 

 graceful simplicity of its elegant tassel-shaped flowers; innocuous 

 and unobtrusive it repels not approach with the keener weapons of 

 its tribe; nor, forsaking its native unproductive bogs for the fertile 



