350 



COMPOSITE. 



and the heads of flowers, though not so large as those of 

 the Cotton-Thistle, have the same dull purple hue. 

 Fl. July September. Biennial 



CNICUS PALUSTRIS (Marsh Plume-Thistle). 



2. 0. palustris (Marsh Plume-Thistle). Heads clus- 

 tered, egg-shaped ; scales of the involucre closely pressed, 

 pointed ; stem winged by the thorny leaves. Moist 

 meadows and borders of fields ; very common. The 

 tallest of the British Thistles, 4 10 feet high, consist- 

 ing of a single, stout, hollow stem, which is branched 

 towards the summit, and bears numerous clusters of 

 rather small, deep purple (sometimes white) flowers. 

 The leaves are thickly armed with short thorns, which 



