COM 1 '<>S IT AH (co.MI'osiTK FAMILY) 859 



2hiefly plane and uncut, or the lowest slightly pinnatifid. Local, Que., N. E., 

 md N. Y. (Nat. from Eu.) 



*- -- At least the lower leaves strongly decurrent. 



14. C. PALUSTRE (L.) Scop. Tall, not stoloniferous ; stem armed throughout 

 by the prickly decurrent wings which extend down from the very long linear or 

 linear-lanceolate more or less pinnatifid spinose-ciliate leaves; heads resembling 

 those of no. 13, but in denser glomerulate clusters, hermaphrodite. Thoroughly 

 naturalized in woods, East Andover, N. H. (G. [V. Holt). (Nat. from Eu.) 



1"). C. ( \M M (L.) Bieb. Roots fusiform ; lower leaves very long, lanceo- 

 late, toothed or slightly pinnatifid, green on both sides, their bases decurrent as 

 -Jliate wings along the stem; upper leaves sessile; heads comparatively large, 

 licinispherical, on long peduncles. Established at Kendal Green, Mass. (Miss 

 Parsons'). (Adv. from Eu.) 



84. ONOP6RDUM [Vaill.] L. COTTON or SCOTCH THISTLE 



Receptacle deeply honey-combed, not setose. Pappus not plumose. Other- 

 wise as Cirsium. Coarse branching annuals or biennials, with the stems 

 winged by the decurrent bases of the lobed and toothed somewhat prickly leaves, 

 (leads large ; flowers purple. (Latinized from the ancient Greek name of the 

 plant.) 



1. 0. ACANTHICM L. Stem (1-3 m. high) and leaves cotton-woolly; scales 

 linear-awl-shaped. Roadsides and waste places, N. B. and N. S. to Ont., s. to 

 N. J. and Mich., rather rare. July-Sept. (Nat. from Eu.) 



85. SILYBUM [Vaill.] Adans. MILK THISTLE 



Heads many-flowered ; flowers all alike, tubular, perfect, fertile. Involucre 

 large, depressed-globose ; the bracts large, prickly, the broadly ovate base 

 gradually or rather abruptly contracted to a straightish rigid spreading or 

 reflexed herbaceous but indurated and pungent tip. Receptacle flattish, densely 

 bristly. Achenes glabrous ; pappus of numerous flattish barbellate bristles 

 united into a ring at the base and deciduous together. Thistle-like tall stout 

 prickly herbs with sinuate-lobed or pinnatifid mottled leaves and large solitary 

 tieads of purple flowers. (Derived from crf\i//3os, the ancient Greek name of an 

 edible-stemmed thistle.) 



1. S. MARIANTM (L.) Gaertn. (LADY'S THISTLE.) Stout and nearly gla- 

 brous annua) or biennial, with large mottled amplexicaul leaves variously lobed 

 and prickly on the margin. (Mariana Hill.) An occasional escape from gar- 

 dens, or weed on ballast and waste grounds. (Introd. from s. Eu.) 



86. CENTAUREA L. STAR THISTLE 



Heads many-flowered ; flowers all tubular, the marginal often much larger 

 (as it were radiate) and sterile. Receptacle bristly. Involucre ovoid or globose, 

 imbricated ; the bracts margined or appendaged. Achenes obovoid or oblong, 

 compressed or 4-angled, attached obliquely at or near the base ; pappus setose 

 or partly chaffy, or none. Herbs with alternate leaves ; the single heads rarely 

 yellow. ( Kevravpiri, an ancient Greek plant-name, poetically associated with 

 Chiron, the Centaur, but without wholly satisfactory explanation.) 



Bracts of the Involucre (or at least the outer ones) terminated by a definite 

 elongate riirid spine ; annuals. 



Stems not winged 1. C. Calcitrapa. 



Sterns winged. 



Spines or the Involucre stout, straw-colored, 12-18 mm. long . . 2. C. oMitiali. 



Spines of the involucre slender, purplish, 6-9 mm. long .... 8. C. melitennn. 

 Bracts not spinose-tipped, or merely with short firm tip hardly longer than 



the lateral teeth, cilia, or fringe. 



Bracts entire or merely with irregularly denticulate or lacerated (not regu- 

 larly toothed or pectinate) margin 4. C. Jaca. 



