COMPOSIT.'B 



4. C. Cyanus (Cornflower, Blue-bottle). — One of the prettiest of 

 flowers, I — 2 feet high ; stem erect, ^ slender, grooved, slightly 

 branched, coltony ; leaves linear-lanceolate, the lower ones 

 toothed ; heads about an inch across ; involucre egg-shaped, 

 cobwebby ; bi'acts with toothed, membranous margins ; receptacle 

 with silvery bristles ; ray-florets few, large, bright blue ; disk-florels 

 with dark purple anthers. — Cornfields ; frequent. When mixed 

 with Poppies and yellow Corn-marigolds, it forms as brilliantly 

 coloured a bouquet as can be imagined. Children sometimes 

 string the outer florets with a needle and thread into a wreath, 



which, when pressed, will 

 retain its colour for a long 

 while. Recently expanded 

 flowers should be chosen, 

 or they will fade. — Rose- 

 coloured, white, and dark 

 purple varieties are com- 

 mon in gardens, and are 

 occasionally found wild. 

 — Fl. July, August ; and, 

 in turnip-fields, again in 

 October and November. 

 Annual or Biennial. 



c,. C. paniculdta, with a 

 loosely corymbose stem, 

 rather cottony, and cylin- 

 dric heads of pinkish 

 florets, and 



6. C. aspera, a prostrate 

 species, with long, slender 

 branches, linear leaves, ter- 

 M- Succor)). minal, solitary heads, 3 — 5 

 spines to each outer bract, 

 and purple florets, are confined to the'Channel Islands. 



7. C. Calcilrapa (Common Star-Thistle). — A stout, spreading, 

 stiff, branched species ; leaves pinnatifld, bristle-pointed ; lieads 

 lateral, sessile ; bracts each ending in a long, stiff, spreading, 

 yellow spine, channelled along its upper surface ; florets rose- 

 purple. — Gravelly and sandy places in the south ; rave. The 

 spines resemble the cruel iron instrument called Caltrops, which 

 was used to lame cavalry hoi-scs in war, the insUument being so 

 constructed tliat, in whatever positiiin it lies, one point sticks 

 upwards. — Fl. July, August. Annual. 



S.* C. solstitidlis (Yellow Star-Tliistle), with ilfra^r winged by the 



CICIIORIUM rWTVB'JS {JJ'Ud Chi,. 



