Dipsaceae 383 



Family 92. DIPSACEAE. TEASEL FAMILY. 



Herbs with opposite or verticillate exstipulate leaves. 

 Flowers perfect, borne on an elongated or globose recep- 

 tacle, bracted and involucrate. Calyx-tube adnate to 

 the ovary, its limb cup-shaped or disk-shaped, or divided 

 into spreading bristles. Corolla epigynous, the limb 

 2-5-lobed. Stamens 2-4, inserted on the tube of the 

 corolla and alternate with its lobes ; filaments distinct. 

 Ovary inferior, 1-celled ; style filiform ; stigma undi- 

 vided, terminal or lateral ; ovule 1, pendulous. Fruit 

 an achene, its apex crowned with the persistent calyx- 

 lobes. 



1. DIPSACUS L. 



Rough-hairy or prickly, tall erect biennial or peren- 

 nial herbs, with opposite dentate or pinnatifid, usu- 

 ally large leaves, and blue or lilac flowers in dense 

 terminal peduncled oblong heads. Bracts of the invo- 

 lucre and scales of the receptacle rigid or spiny-toothed. 

 Calyx-limb cup-shaped, 4-toothed or 4-lobed. Corolla 

 oblique or 2-lipped, 4-lobed. Stamens 4. Stigmas 

 oblique or lateral. Achene free or adnate to the in- 

 volucel. 



1. D. fullonum L. (FULLER'S-TEASEL.) Biennial, stout, with 

 numerous short prickles on the stem, branches, midribs of the 

 leaves and involucre, otherwise glabrous or nearly so, 1-2 m. 

 high ; leaves sessile or the upper ones connate-perfoliate, lanceo- 

 late or oblong, entire, the lower obtuse, crenate; leaves of the 

 involucre spreading or reflexed, shorter than the head; heads 

 ovoid, becoming cylindric, 6-10 cm. long; scales of the receptacle 

 with hooked tips, about equaling the flowers; flowers lilac, 8-12 

 mm. long. 



Occasional in moist places about Los Angeles. Native of Europe. 



