454 COMPOSIT.E. (composite family.) 



Akenes ribless, compressed or terete, hilum at base, tip with more or 

 less elevated margiu and central boss. Pappus in many rows of 

 feathery bristles united in a ring at base, deciduous, the inner bristles 

 club-shaped, toothed— Monocarpic or perennial herbs with prickly 

 leaves. 



* Leaves strigose at upper surface. 



t Leaves not decurrent. 



X Heads sessile in a long outer involucre composed oftlie upper leaves, 



I C. lappaceum, 3 phyllocephalum, 3 leuconeurum. 



I I Heads with a short, outer involucre. 

 4 C. Cataonicum, 5 Amani. 



1 1 Leaves decurrent. Stem winged-pricMy . 



6 C, lanceolatum. 



* * Leaves not strigose at wpx^er surface. 



t Akenes compressed, with membranous epicarps. 



I Scales of involucre entire. 



7 C. Gaillardoti, 8 Siculum, 9 Libanoticum. 



\ \ Scales of involucre ending in a pinnate spine. 

 10 C. Acarna. 



1 1 Akenes ovate-globular, icith a straight tip. 



II C. diacantha, 12 Tauricolum. 



1 1 1 Akenes pyriform, with an oblique tip. . 



13 C. Afrum. 



1 1 1 1 Akenes linear-oblong, compressed. 



14 C. arvense. 



1. C. lappaceum, M.B. (5) .3 to .6 ; stem cobwebby, corymb- 

 ose or racemed. Leaves pinnatipartite into lanceolate, usually bifid 

 lobes, ending in stout, yellow spines. Heads ovate-globular, .03 to .03 

 long ; scales of involucre cobwebby, ending in a long, weak, erect or 

 somewhat recurved prickle — August to October — 



Var. Hermonis, Boiss. Woolly-canescent — Alpine Lebanon 

 and Hermon. 



2. C pliylloceplialuni, Boiss. etBl. If Shershdr. Ehuswdn. 

 1 or more, slightly cobwebby or hirsute, or glabrescent ; stem corymb- 

 ose. Leaves bipinnatisect into somewhat retrorse, lanceolate, bifid, 

 spiny-tipped lobes ; stem-leaves auricled -clasping. Heads ovate, .015 

 to .03 long ; involucre glabrescent, scales appressed, mucronate-prickly 

 — Autumn — Middle and subalpine Lebanon ; el-Kufr (Hauran). 



3. C. leucoiienrum, Boiss. et Haussk. 1^ .4 to 1, gldbreseent, 

 except upper surface of leaves, pale green, densely corymbose. Leaves 

 oblong-lanceolate, auricled-clasping, with i/rominent, stout, white nerves 

 at lower surface, pinnatifid into triangular lobes armed at margin and 

 tip with stout, yellow spines. Heads ovate, .03 to .03 long ; scales of 

 involucre tipped with a somewhat spreading, stoutish prickle — July to 

 September — Subalpine and alpine Akhcrdagh, and northward. 



