358 THE ALPINE FLORA 



Centaur ea 



"Eng.: Knapweed; Fr. ; Centauree; Ger. : Flockenblume. 



One of the many Composite that figure so largely in 

 dealers' catalogues and are unworthy of place in any 

 except the wildest and roughest corners. The involucral 

 bracts are dilated into appendages which are sometimes 

 scarious, sometimes spinous, sometimes foliate ; the 

 outer florets are usually sterile, large and radiate. 



C. montana (PI. LIX). Cotonny, with large, soft 

 leaves; massive "corn-flowers". June-September. All 

 rich or rocky mountain pastures. There are varieties 

 with white, rose, red, or yellowish flowers, and all are to 

 be grown with the greatest ease ; in fact they rapidly 

 become a nuisance in gardens. 



C. axillaris is found in Ticino and at Belalp (Valais) ; 

 leaves sinuate-dentate, flowers smaller, involucral bracts 

 fringed. 



C. nervosa. Lower leaves entire, upper strongly 

 toothed, greyish-green; stem hardly ever branched; 

 capitule very large, rosy-purple. July-August. Alpine 

 meadows. 



Crepis 



Another composite which may attraet the collector, but 

 is useless to the gardener. 



C. aurea (PI. LX). Akin to the Dandelion, and found 

 on cool mountain grassland. The orange-brown capitules 

 at once attract attention. 



C. grandiflora. A plant of sombre green; leaves 

 pubescent, glandular, flowers in big, vivid-yellow heads 

 arranged by 3-8 on the upper part of stems 4-20 in. high. 

 Alpine pastures. Summer-flowering. 



