860 



COMPOSITAE (COMPOSITE FAMILY^ 



Some bracts with regularly pectinate or toothed marjrin or tip. 



Annual, with tioccose white pubescence and simple entire linear or lanceo- 

 late leaves - 



Biennials or perennials (e\<eptionally anjuials), green ; lowest leaves 

 usually pinnatifid or coarsely toothed. 

 Middle and outer bracts pectinate or IVinged two thirds to the base. 

 Leaves all pinnatifid ; green bodies of the involucral bracts con- 

 spicuous, their margins dark 



At least the upper leaves entire or merely short-toothed; pale 

 bodies of the involucral bracts mostly hidden by the iuibricated 

 api)endages. 

 Heads 2-5 cm. broad ; involucral bracts with dark appendages 

 Heads G-12 cm. broad ; bracts with pale brown or straw-colored 



appendages 8 



Middle and outer bracts pectinate only at the usually darker tip. 



Lower leaves iiinnatifid into Unear or lanceolate segments, the upper 



mostly linear ; involucral bracts distinctly ribbed .... 



Lower leaves elliptic or oblanceolate, lyrate-jiinnatifid or coarsely 



dentate, the upper similar; involucral bracts plane or obscurely 



ribbed 



5. (\ Cyanu*. 



6. C. Seabiosa. 



7. 



C. nigra. 



C americ-ana. 



9. 



10. 



C. maculosa. 

 C. vochinensis. 



1. C. Calcitrapa L. (Caltrop.s, Star Thistle.) Diffusely branched, 

 somewhat pubescent ; leaves spimilose-toothed ; heads sessile ; all but the inner- 

 most involucral bracts terminated by a stout divergent straw-colored spine (1-2.5 

 cm. lonr/), which is naked or with 1 to 4 pairs of spinules at the broad base ; 

 corollas purplish, all tubular. — Ballast and waste ground, rarely in open woods 

 near towns, N. Y. to Va. June-Oct. (Nat. from Eu.) 



2. C. solstitiXlis L. (Barxap,y's Thistle.) Grayish with loose flocco^e 

 pubescence, branched, 3-5 dm. high ; basal leaves deeply pinnatitid ; the lobes 

 oblong and elliptical, serrate ; cauline leaves small, oblong-lanceolate, entire or 

 nearly so. strongly decurrent in broadish ivings upon the stern ; body of the 

 involucre ovoid, 1.5 cm. in diameter, the stout straight stramineous spines 12-18 

 mm. long, widely spreading or reflexed ; flowers yellov). — Waste ground, etc., 

 e. Mass. to Out. and la., becoming frefjuent. (Adv. from Eu.) 



3. C. MELiTENsis L. Leaves slightly decurrent ; heads siibsessile, or mostly 

 short-peduncled, leafy-bracted at base; middle and lower bracts terminated by 



slender weak divergent spinulose-based spines ; innermost bracts 

 with ascending purplish spines; corollas yellow. — Ballast and 

 waste grounds about ports ; more abundant in the Pacific States. 

 June-Sept. (Nat. from Eu.) 



4. C. JA.CEA L. Simple or branched, 3-6 dm. high ; leaves 

 lanceolate or oblanceolate, slightly denticulate, the lowest peti- 

 oled, the upper sessile ; heads showy ; involucre subglobose ; 

 outer bracts pale ; the others glossy dark broion, entire or 

 slightly lacerated; corollas rose-puiple, the marginal conspicu- 

 ously enlarged and falsely radiate. — Waste ground and 

 fields, local, N. E.. X. Y., and N. J. June-Sept. (Nat. 

 from Eu.) Fig. 1010. 



Var. LAC ERA Koch. Leaves often runcinate-dentate ; 

 outer and middle bracts of the inv<dacre loith a pale finely 

 lacerated fringe. Mass. to N. J. (Nat. from Eu.) Fig. 1011. 



5. C. CVancs L. (Bh ebottle, Bachelor's Button, 

 Cou:^-FLOWER.) Slender, with long ascending branches ter- 

 minated by solitary heads ; involucre ovoid, of about 4 very 

 unequal series of pjale bracts; the outermost narrowly del- 

 toid, and with the longer middle ones bordered by a white or silvery sharp- 

 toothed scarious band; the innermost elongate-lanceolate, with more or less 

 erose and col(jred tips; marginal flowers large and ray-like, blue, violet, pink, 

 or white. — Escaped from cultivation to roadsides, etc. July-Sept. (Introd. 

 from Eu.) 



6. C. ScABi6sA L. Flant rather villous, leafy toward the base, the solitary 

 large (5-6 cm. broad) heads on elongated bracted peduncles; involucre broadly 

 ovoid ; the outer bracts ovate-triangular, the inner oblong, all loith a conspic- 

 uously pectinaV'-ciliate dark margin; corollas purplish, the marginal falsely 

 radiate. — Fields and waste places, local, e. Que. to Ont. and O. (Nat. from Eu.) 



1010. C. Jacea. 



Involucre and 



bract X i^. 



1011. C. Jacea, v. lac. 

 luvolucre and bract 



