CL. IV.] 7. ASTEllOCErilAlATS CANESCENS. 355 



the geniien and the flower there stancls a nienibraiiaceous 

 rown, and within it fiv^e white bristles, which are nuuh short- 

 er than the gernien, and not much larger than the mem- 

 branaceous crown. Four white filaments are comiected with 

 the tube of the corolla, and vcdry reddish anthers. The 

 pistillum is linear, and has a ])relty thick stigtiia. The 

 nectary is the u])per surface of the germen. 'I'his swells to 

 an eight-cornered, strongly haired achenium, which continiK> 

 to exhibit the five white short bristles, and tlie j)appus, and 

 contains the evolved embryon in consumed albumen, with tlie 

 radicle turned upwards. 



Diag'nosis. 



If we compare the related species, particularly Jsi. Cohim- 

 baritty with this plant, we find this other species, in tlie first 

 place, much taller, somewhat ciliated also, but by no means 

 of a greyish colour. The leaves of the root are mostly lyre- 

 shaped, very seldom ovate, and deeply serrated. The joints 

 of the stem are reddisli, the leaves of the cahx pointed, and 

 a little shorter than the ray, the chaffy leaves of the rece}>- 

 tacle are finely pointed, and, above all, the bristles of the paj)- 

 pus are brown, and almost as long as the germen. The co- 

 lour of the flower is violet or sky blue. 



A-s't. agrest'is^ also, (Scabiosa agrestis Kit. PI. Hungar. 3. 

 t. 204.) may be confounded ^nth our plant. But that 

 species has always lyre-shaped root-leaves, and bi- or tri-jMu- 

 nate stem-leaves, — the stem is branchy, and sprinkled with 

 grey hoar ; the leaves of the common calyx are lanc-colate 

 and ciliated ; the flowers are of a lilac colour, and the bristles 

 of the pappus of a brown colour, and nearly as long as the 

 germen. Sc. pyrenaica AIL, which some confound with our 

 plant, is completely distinguished from it by white soft to- 

 mentum, and by broader lacinid'. BcrtoL Jma'n. Ital. p. 12. 



Geographical Distribution. 



This species grows on the calcareous soil of central Ger- 

 many, France, Austria, and Hungary. It seems not to pass 

 beyond the 54" N. I.at. We cannot determine with cLMtnin- 



Z 2 



