STATl^TRlSTLl^.—Centaurea Calcifrajja. 



I'fass Syngenesia. Order Frustranea. Nat. Ord. Composit.« 

 Compound Flowers. 



Although tliis flower bears the name of 

 a tliistle, and has somewhat the appearance of 

 one, yet it does not belong to the thistle tribe. 

 The true thistles have their leaves more or less 

 edged with spines, often with spines so sharp 

 that we fear to touch them ; but in this plant 

 they are on the floAver-cup only. In their early 

 stage of growth they are green and tender ; 

 but as they advance to maturity they become 

 hard and woody, and might inflict a deep 

 wound on the hand which rashly seized them. 



The name by which this flower is distin- 

 guished from the other species of Centaurea, 

 has an allusion to the spiny calyx. Calcitrapa 

 is the Latin word for the Caltrop, or iron ball 

 covered witli thick spines, which was used of 

 old times in the wars, in order to check the 

 advance of cavalry. Another Star-Thistle, 

 which is brought from the fields of the Levant^ 

 to adorn our gardens, has still more singular 

 spines about its purple blossoms, and it has 



