COMPOSITE. 319 



hard but not thick branches, glabrous, or rough Tvith minute hairs. Leaves 

 narrow ; the lower ones pinnatifld, the upper ones entire. Flower-heads 

 solitary at the ends of the branches, with one or two leaves close under 

 them. Involucres about the size of those of the corn C, with appressed 

 glabrous bracts, not fringed, but most or all of them ending in a palmate 

 appendage of 5 minute prickles or points. 



In waste lands, not far from the sea ; very common on the Mediterranean, 

 and extending up the west coast of Europe to the Channel Islands. Fl. 

 summer and autumn. 



5. Star-tbistle Centaurea. Centaurea Calcitrapa, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 125.) 



A coarse, green annual, sometimes slightly covered with cottony down, 

 seldom rising to a foot in height, but with very spreading or prostrate 

 branches. Leaves pinnatifid, with a few long Imear or lanceolate lobes. 

 Elower-heads sessile among the upper leaves or in the forks of the branches, 

 not large in themselves, but the involucral bracts end in stiiF spreading 

 spines, i to 1 inch long, with 1 or 2 smaller prickles at their base. Florets 

 purple. Achenes without any pappus. 



In waste places, and on roadsides, in central and especially southern Eu- 

 rope to the Caucasus, and most abundant near the sea. Found occasionally 

 in some of the southern counties of England, but scarcely further northward. 

 jFl. summer and autumn. 



6. Yello-w Centaurea. Centaurea solstitialis, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 243.) 



A stiff, erect annual, 1 to 2 feet high, with few branches, and covered 

 with a white cottony wool. Radical leaves pinnatifid, upper ones small and 

 linear, decurrent in long, narrow wings along the stem. Flower-heads soli- 

 tary at the ends of the branches, nearly globular ; the innermost bracts end- 

 ing in a small shining appendage ; the intermediate ones in a long spread- 

 ing prickle, with one or two small ones at its base ; the outermost usually 

 with only a few small, palmate prickles, as in the Jersey C. Florets of a 

 bright yellow. 



In waste and cultivated places, in southern Europe and western Asia, es- 

 pecially near the sea, and, as a weed of cultivation, widely spread over Eu- 

 rope, Asia, and other parts of the world. In Britain, it appears occasion- 

 ally in cornfields, and sometimes in waste places near the sea. Fl. summer 

 and autumn. 



XXVIIL SAX.SIFV. TEAGOPOGOIf. 



Biennials or perennials, with tap-roots, and long, narrow, grass-like, en- 

 tire leaves, broader and sheathing at the base. Involucre of 8 to 12 bracts, 

 nearly equal, and slightly united at the base. Achenes narrowed at the 

 top into a long beak, bearing a pappus of feathery hairs. 



A genus not very numerous in species, spread over Europe and temperate 

 Asia, easily known among the British Ligulates by the fohage. In this 

 respect it resembles Scorzonera, a numerous exotic genus, of which one 

 species, the S. hispanica, is often cultivated in our gardens for the same 

 purposes as the Salsify. 



Flowers yellow 1. Meadote S. 



Flowers purple 2. Furple S. 



