CARDUUS CENTAUREA. 



87 



a terminal cluster, on nearly naked 

 stems. Leaves, smoothish, ternate ; 

 leaflets, rhomboid-roundish, toothed. 

 On shady parts of mountains in Cen- 

 tral Europe. Borders, the rougher 



parts of the rock-garden, and natura- 

 lization on bare banks. It thrives 

 anywhere, but flowers best in a moist 

 peaty or fine sandy soil. Division. 



Carduus acaulis (Dwarf Thistle} 

 Cnicus acaulis. A nearly stemless 

 thistle. Flowers, in summer ; purple, 

 in large heads, stalkless, or rarely on 

 stalks a few inches long. Leaves, very 

 prickly, smooth, pinnatifid. Europe 

 and Britain. Margins of shrub- 

 beries, or bare banks in semi-wild 

 places, in ordinary soil. Seed. 



Carduus eriophorus ( Woolly Thistle] . 

 A noble thistle, growing 3 to 4 ft. 

 high, very stout and much-branched. 

 Flowers, in summer ; purple, in very 

 large and handsome globular heads. 

 Leaves, downy and cottony under- 

 neath, hairy and green above, the 

 narrow lobes fiercely armed with 

 Vrickles ; lower ones, 1 to 2 ft. long. 

 A native of Southern England and 



many parts of Europe. In open 



spots in woods, by wood-walks, mar- 

 gins of shrubberies, or among vigorous 

 herbs in the subtropical garden, in 

 any soil. Seed and division. 



Carlina acanthifolia (Stemless C.) 

 Resembling the Dwarf Thistle, but 

 differing from that species by being 

 quite stemless, and with leaves larger, 

 more cottony, and less cut. Flowers, 

 in summer; yellow, very large, soli- 

 tary. Leaves, stalked, pinnatifid ; 

 segments spiny, toothed. Alps of Car- 



n iola. By wood-walks, margins of 



shrubberies, or naturalization on warm 

 sunny banks, in sandy loam. Seed. 



Cassia marilandica (American Sen- 

 na }. A noble-looking herbaceous 

 plant, 3| ft. to 6 ft. high. Floioers, in 

 autumn ; bright yellow, in axillary 

 clusters ; petals 5, narrowly- obovate, 



about \ in. long ; sepals 5, unequal, 

 nearly free ; stamens 10. Leaves, 

 alternate, pinnate ; leaflets opposite 

 equal, oval - oblong, acute. N. Ame- 

 rica. The back portions of borders 



among the taller perennials, and in 

 isolated tufts in the pleasure-ground , 

 thriving best in a deep warm loam. 

 Seed or division. 



Catananche caerulea (Blue C.} A 

 handsome border - plant, about 2 ft. 

 high. Flowers, in summer ; fine blue, 

 each stalk being terminated by a 

 single head; rays indented at the 

 ends ; scales of the involucre ovate. 

 Leaves, hoary, narrow, lance-shaped, 

 with one or two little teeth on each 

 side sometimes pinnatifid at the base. 

 South of France and Italy. Bor- 

 ders, margins of shrubberies, or natu- 

 ralization, in a well-drained warm 

 soil. Seed. 



Centaurea babylonica (Babylonian 

 <7.) A very tall and stately peren- 

 nial, with silvery leaves, growing from 

 6 to 10 ft. high. Flowers, in summer; 

 yellow, close to the tall stem. Leaves, as 

 white as those of C. ragusina ; of root, 

 lance -shaped-ovate, stalked and with 

 a few small teeth; stem-leaves nar- 

 rower, lance-shaped, decurrent. The 



Levant. Borders and margins of 



shrubberies, or in groups of silvery- 

 leaved plants. It is chiefly valuable 

 for the effect of its large silvery leaves, 

 and it may be well, to improve these, 

 to prevent it from flowering. Allowed 

 to .flower, it is fitted for association 

 with the tallest and most vigorous 

 perennials; in half -wild places. Seed. 



Centaurea dealbata (Whitened (J). 

 A very hardy perennial with graceful 

 and somewhat silvery leaves, 15 to 

 18 in. high. Flowers, in summer; rose- 

 coloured. Leaves, smooth above and 

 covered with white hairs under- 

 neath ; radical leaves stalked, pin- 

 nate, with obovate lobes, coarsely 

 toothed, often auricled at the base; 

 stem - leaves pinnate, with oblong- 



