COMPOSITE 



151 



Leaves simple, cauline, alternate, petiolate, acute, spiny, hairy, 

 light green, reticulate. The first two are lanceolate-elliptic. 



Cnicus diacanthus, Benth. (fig. 480). 



Primary root a fleshy, colourless taproot, with a few lateral 

 fibres. 



Hypocotyl succulent, suberect, terete, 1-2 cm. long, 2 mm. 

 thick, quite glabrous, greenish-white, mostly subterranean. 



Cotyledons connate, 

 2-2-5 cm. long, 1-1-25 

 cm. wide, obovate or 

 spathulate, produced at 

 the base, rounded at the 

 apex, entire, with distinct 

 midrib, quite glabrous, 

 rather thick, yellowish- 

 green above, paler be- 

 neath. 



The stem is developed 

 when about to flower. 



The first three leaves 

 are 5-8 cm. long, and 

 1 cm. wide, lanceolate, 

 much narrowed to the 

 base, acute at the apex, 

 with three or more pairs 

 of nerves springing from 

 a broad sunk midrib, and 

 terminating in setaceous 



teeth, and tomentose, especially on the under side, slightly succu- 

 lent, bright green above, tomentose beneath. 



Ultimate leaves simple, radical and cauline, alternate, sessile 

 or the radical ones elongated into a petiole-like base, alternately 

 incurvinerved, toothed, or lobed, or subpinnatifid, spiny, deep green 

 above with silvery midrib and principal nerves, somewhat felted 

 or cottony, colourless and tomentose beneath ; radical ones dilated 

 and sheathing at the base. 



Cnicus syriacus, Willd. 



Primary root very long, stout, tapering downwards, with short 

 lateral rootlets, annual. 



Hypocotyl very short, and hardly distinguishable from the 

 root. 



FIG. 480. Cnicus diacanthus. Half nat. size. 



