244 University of California Publications in Botany. L VoL - 3 



1. C. Melitensis L., Sp. PI. 917 (1753). TOCALOTE. 



An erect commonly much branched annual, 3 to 8 dm. high, 

 with a roughish indument, the stems narrowly winged by the de- 

 current leaves: basal leaves pinnatifid, the upper narrow and 

 mostly entire: heads terminal and solitary, or 2 or 3 together: 

 involucre 1 cm. high, its bracts rigid, the outer with palmatifid 

 spine, the intermediate and inner ones with a rigid spine 5 to 10 

 mm. long which is either simple or with divaricate short spines 

 at base: flowers yellow: pappus-bristles in about 3 rows, the 

 middle row long, the outer and inner very short. 



A common introduced weed in waste places and fields. 



2. C. solstitialis L., Sp. PL 917 (1753). YELLOW STAR 

 THISTLE. 



Diffuse, branching from the base, 3 to 8 dm. high, from an 

 annual root, cottony-pubescent : basal leaves pinnatifid; cauline 

 leaves linear, entire, rather closely ascending, decurrent on the 

 stem as long narrow wings : heads all solitary at the ends of the 

 branches, ovoid-globular: bracts much like the preceding except 

 that the spines of the intermediate ones are mostly 1 to 2 cm. long 

 and that the innermost bracts end in a small shining appendage : 

 flowers bright yellow : outer pappus of short squamellae, inner 

 pappus of copious slender bristles. 



Sparingly introduced at San Diego, ace. to Gray, but not 

 found by recent collectors ; El Rosario, Lower California, Brande- 

 gee; middle California. Native of Europe. 



3. C. Cyanus L., Sp. PI. 911 (1753). BLUEBOTTLE. 



An erect annual, 3 to 6 dm. high, lightly flocculent-tomentose 

 when young: leaves linear, entire or the lower rarely dentate or 

 pinnatifid : heads terminating naked peduncles : involucre 1.5 cm. 

 high, fringed with a scarious fimbriate border : flowers deep blue - 

 marginal corollas much enlarged, ray-like: pappus-bristles un- 

 equal. 



Los Angeles, Nevin, ace. to Parish, 61 as a garden escape. Na- 

 tive of Europe. 



eiBot. Gaz. xxxviii. 462 (1904). 



