COMPOUND FLOWERS. 349 



some plant, about 2 feet high, with a furrowed cottony 

 stem, deeply lobed thorny leaves, which are downy on 

 the veins beneath, and large deep purple flowers, to 

 which the radiated involucre is a very ornamental 

 appendage. This is sometimes called the Scotch Thistle, 

 but incorrectly. The upper part of the flower-stalk is 

 nearly bare of leaves, and the flower itself has a power- 

 ful odour. Fl. June August. Biennial. 



2. G. acanthoUes (Welted Thistle). Heads clustered, 

 round ; scales of the involucre linear, thorny, spreading 

 or erect ; stem winged by the thorny leaves. Waste 

 places ; common. A branched, very thorny plant, 3 4 

 feet high, with small heads, of deep purple, or some- 

 times white flowers. Fl. June, July. Annual. 



3. C. tenuiflorus (Slender-flowered Thistle). Heads 

 clustered, cylindrical ; scales of the involucre thorny, 

 erect ; stem winged by the thorny leaves, which are 

 cottony beneath. Waste places, especially near the sea ; 

 very common in the West of England. Well distin- 

 guished by the small heads of pink flowers, and the very 

 long erect scales of the involucre. The stems are 2 4 

 feet high, and bear all the flowers at the summit. Fl. 

 June, July. Annual 



* C. Maridnus (Milk Thistle) is a stouter plant 

 than either of the preceding, and is distinguished at 

 once by the white veins on its leaves, from which it 

 derives its popular name. It was called by the early 

 botanists Carduus Marice, or " Our Lady's Thistle." 

 Fl. June, July. Biennial. 



18. CNICUS (Plume-Thistle). 



1. C. lanceoldtus (Spear Plume-Thistle). Heads most- 

 ly solitary, stalked, egg-shaped; scales of the involucre 

 thorny, spreading, woolly ; stem winged by the thorny 

 leaves, the lobes of which are 2-cleft. Waste places and 

 hedges ; common. This is more like the Cotton-Thistle 

 (Onopordum) than any other species of this genus. It 

 grows 3 4 feet high ; the leaves are downy beneath, 



