Besides specimens of llie typieai jihml, 1 iuive eollecled, on very dry, sunny dcciivi- 

 lics, a number of sj)ecimens differinj^ in various respects, and wliicli I cnlcr as 



var. iiioiiocephalus nov. var. [Tal). WJ. 



Ab forma li/picn di/]'eii cmilibiis Iiiimilibiis, l()-"}(), nim ad M) cm. nllis. simplicibtis. 

 ntpiliilis singulis crrclis. Ihun cinilis stipcrm- lainustis. niinis capilulo solihirio lermi- 

 nntis. Capiliiln inajora, 20-2J mm. (liumclin. Sipiamar invnluni cxlcriores r2-1'i mm. 

 lon(]nc. anqustissimttr. bnsi ()..')-(),S mm. Utinc. supcnu- scnsiin (illciuKilac (tnimimiUic, 

 ncnx) inlcrmt'dio plus minus dislinclo inslrurhii'. in spinani vonlrucltw. dmsr upprcssae 

 nunKjUdm pidcnirs i>cl rrcnnxildc. dcnsf nnichiididcdc, nuiiyinihus .\ciihiis. Siiuamuc 

 ini'olucri inlcriorcs circ. .')' mm. cvlerioirs siipci'dnlcs. infiTUc viiidcs. (jlahidc, siiprmc 

 Icifder sid)rubru-i>iol(U'('(U'. Ixisi circ. I mm. lalac. supernr Icintcr dllcnudluc. apicc luntd 

 dislinclc (icuminaldc. pubcrulenlcw. ncruo huud pcrspicuo inslruchu-. Folid supra sparse 

 drdchnoideO'Villosa. subfusco viridia. sublus albo-tomcniosd. 



Tliis subspecies is readily dislinuuished by having the stems siiort, mostly simple, 

 bearing a solitary, erect, comparatively large head. Tiu' stems, wiiich are generally soli- 

 tary or a couple together, are .short, commonly only 10—20 cm. long, rarely longer, some- 

 limes so short as not to overtop the basal leaves. The stems are only rarely, near the 

 top. furnished with a single, or rarely two short branches, bearing one head each. An 

 unbranched stem seemed to be commonest, and wiien l)ranched at all, it is always only in 

 the upper part, the branches being always rather slu)ii. The stems and branches always 

 terminate in a single head, which is comparatively large, 20—25 mm. in diameter, 

 erect, never nodding. The peduncles are always very short, so that the heads generally 

 do not much overtop the upper stem-leaves. The stem is, throughout its length, densely 

 white-tomentose, winged, and densely prickly. These prickles seemed to form nearly a 

 whorl beneath the heads. Length of the prickles about 1,5 mm. The leaves are rather 

 deeply sinuate-pinnatifid into triangular, toothed segments, the teeth prickle-pointed. The 

 under sides of the leaves are densely white-felted, the upper sides, especially along the 

 nerves, sparingly pubescent, and more or less distinctly arachnoid. The upper sides are 

 generally of a yellowish or brownish tinge, whereby the whole i)lant assumes a brownish 

 or olive green colour. The involucre is hemisperical. rather densely arachnoid. The 

 outer involucral bracts are 12—14 mm. long, very narrow, only 0,5—0,8 mm. broad near 

 the base, tapering above, and acuminate, willi a distinct midrib, prolonged into a short, 

 fine prickle, always densely appressed, never protruding or recurvalc. The inner bracts 

 of the involucre are about 3 mm. longer than the outer ones, green below, of a reddish or 

 violet tinge above, about 1 mm. broad below, tapering above, l)ul not acumminalc, near 

 the summit finely puljcrulent, and frequently furnished with a midrib, only, by the way, 

 slightly prominent. The structure of the individual fl()\\ crs agrees with the typical form, 

 being 14—15 mm. long, with a pappus about 10 mm. long. 



This subspecies has been found by me on the Abakan Steppe, near I'st Kamuishto, 

 where occurring on very dry, hot and sunny declivities, among sand and gravel, together 

 with Leonurus fdlaricus. Panzcria hindla. and other xerophilous plants. 



431 



