DTPSACEa:. 283 



1. Common. Teasel. Sipsacus sylvestris, Liun. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1032.) 



A stout biennial, 4 or 5 feet high, with numerous prickles on the stems, 

 the midribs of the leaves, the peduncles, and involucres. Leaves sessile, 

 long and lanceolate, entire or coarsely toothed, the upper ones broadly con- 

 nate at the base. Heads of flowers at first ovoid, but gradually becoming 

 cyUndrical, near 3 inches long and above 1^ inches in diameter. Involucre 

 of 8 to 12 long but very unequal stiff, linear, prickly bracts, usually curved 

 upwards. Scales of the receptacle broad and hairy at the base, ending in a 

 fine prickly point, rather longer tlian the florets. Flowers pale-lilac. 



On roadsides and waste places, in central and southern Europe, and all 

 across Russian Asia, not extending northward beyond Germany. Common 

 in the southern counties of England and in Ireland, more rare in the north, 

 and in Scotland probably only as an introduced plant. FL late in .nimmer 

 or autumn. ThefiMers' Teasel (Z)./«Z/oKMm, Eng. Bot. t. 2080) is believed 

 to be a cultivated variety of this plaut, only differuig in the scales of the re- 

 ceptacle being hooked at the extremity. 



2. Small Teasel. Dipsacus pilosus, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 877.) 



A branching biennial, 2 to 4 feet high, covered with stiff spreading hairs 

 or bristles, which rarely amount to weak prickles. Leaves with 1 large, 

 ovate pointed, and coarsely toothed terminal segment, and 1 or 2 pairs of 

 smaller ones on the short leafstalk. Flowers white, forming globular, hispid 

 heads, barely an inch in diameter, on long peduncles. Bracts of the invo- 

 lucre seldom longer than the florets, and passing gradually into the scales of 

 the receptacle, which are ovate, ending in a fine stifi" point, almost prickly, 

 about as long as the florets. 



In rather moist hedges, thickets, and banks, in central and southern Eu- 

 rope to the Caucasus, extending northwards to southern Sweden. Occurs 

 in most of the southern and central counties of England, but not in Ireland 

 or Scotland. FL summer artd autumn. 



II. SCABIOUS. SCABIOSA. 



Herbs, either annual or with a perennial stock, becoming shrubby in some 

 exotic species, without prickles. Heads of flowers hemispherical or globu- 

 lar, with an involucre of small, green, not prickly bracts. Eeceptacle bear- 

 ing small, not prickly scales, or hairs only, between the florets. Involucels 

 various. Corolla 4- or 5-lobed, often oblique. Ovary and fruit crowned 

 by the little, cup-shaped calycine border, with 4, 5, or more teeth or 

 bristles. 



This, the principal genus of the family, belongs chiefly to the Mediterra- 

 nean region, a few species extending over the rest of Europe and temperate 

 Asia. Although not very numerous in species, it has been broken up into 

 4, 5, or 6 genera, the three British species being referred severally to Succisa, 

 Scabiosa, and Trichera or Knautia. 



leaves entire or nearly so. Floret? 4-lobed, the outer ones scarcely 



larger than the others 1. Blue S. 



Leaves toothed or divided. Outer florets of each head usually much 

 larger and more obUque. 



