i8o SUB-ALPINE PLANTS 



Distribution. — Eastern, Central, and Western Alps, Pyrenees, 

 Jura, Spain, Central Europe from Alsace to the Var. 



The silvery grey heads of this handsome Carline Thistle are very 

 decorative, and useful to adorn ladies' hats. 



Centaurea L. 



Involucral bracts, imbricate, scarious, fringed or spiny. Re- 

 ceptacle bristly. Flowers all tubular ; outer ones usually larger, 

 neuter ; inner ones perfect. Fruit compressed. 



One of the largest genera, and especially numerous in the 

 Mediterranean and Caucasian regions, with a few American species. 



Centaurea montana L. (Plate XXII.) 



Stem about a foot high, erect or ascending, simple or slightly 

 branched above, very often covered with cottony webs or wool. 

 Leaves soft, lanceolate, acute or acuminate, entire ; lower leaves 

 narrowed into a foot-stalk, slightly webbed ; upper stem-leaves 

 decurrent. Involucral bracts ovate or lanceolate, anastomosely 

 veined, adpressed, with a membranous margin at the apex, fringed 

 or serrate. Pappus one-third as long as the achene. Ray-flowers 

 bluish, rarely white ; disk-flowers purple or pink. 



Alpine and sub-alpine meadows and pastures, and margins of 

 woods, especially in stony, bushy places ; common. 



Distribution. — Eastern, Central, and Western Alps, Vosges, 

 Erzgebirge, Jura, Cevennes, Pyrenees. -- 



Centaurea axillaris Willd. (C. variegata Lam.). 



Very similar to the last, but with pinna tifid lower leaves and 

 oval involucral bracts, which have a brown margin with cartilagi- 

 nous, silver-white teeth. Flowers blue, rarely red or white. 



Dry places and wood clearings up to 5300 feet ; local. 



Distribution. — Switzerland and Western Alps. July, August. 



Centaurea uniflora L. (Plate XXII.) 



Stem 8-12 inches high, erect, simple, and always i-headed, 

 cottony. Leaves white-cottony on both sides, i-nerved, oblong- 

 lanceolate, entire or obscurely toothed, the lower leaves prolonged 

 into a petiole ; upper leaves sessile. Involucre large, sub-globular. 

 Bracts dark brown, with the fringed, linear-subulate apex very 

 long and completely turned back. Cilia of bracts long and plumose. 

 Flowers bright purple. Before they expand the involucral bracts 

 form a curious feathery ball. 



Alpine pastures and meadows, 5000-8200 feet. July to September. 



Distribution. — Central and Western Alps as far south as the 

 Maritime Alps. Not in Switzerland. 



