878 LXV. COMtOSlT/E. [Cryptostmm a 



exceeding the radical leaves and often shorter than them. Involucre 7 to 8 lines 

 diameter, glabrous or slightly cottony. Bay-florets yellow, the ligula narrow, -J 

 to lin. long. Disk purple. — Harv. and Send. Fl. Cap. iii. 467 ; Steetz in PL 

 Preiss. i. 487. 



Hab.: This plant has made several attempts> to establish itself in this colony, but hitherto 

 without much success. 



78. *CNICUS, Linn. 



(A name applied by early botanists to Thistles.) • 



Heads homogamous. Florets hermaphrodite or dioecious by abortion. Involucre 

 ovoid or globose ; bracts many-seriate, base often narrow, ending in sharp spines. 

 Receptacle flat, convex or subconical, densely setose. Corolla slender, limb 

 deeply 5-6d, the segments narrow. Filaments more or less papillose, very rarely 

 glabrous. Anther-base sagittate. Style-branches linear, style below the branches 

 usually bearing a pilose ring. Achenes glabrous, compressed or 4-angled, 

 truncate or umbonate at the apex. Pappus-bristles many-seriate, rigid, plumose, 

 united in a ring at the base. — Herbs with sessile or decurrent leaves, often 

 pinnatifid, with spinose margins. 



1. C. lanceolatus (leaves lanceolate), Hoffm. The common Thistle. 

 Biennial 3 to 4ft. high, with large heads terminating somewhat Jeafy 

 branchlets ; oottony-tomentose when young, becoming green, more or less villose 

 or hirsute. Leaves lanceolate, deeply pinnatifid and with lanceolate lobes, 

 rigidly prickly ; upper face strigose-setulose ; base decurrent on the stem into 

 interrupted prickly wings. Bracts of involucre araehnoid-tomentose, lanceolate 

 and mostly attenuate into slender and rigid prickly-pointed spreading tips ; 

 florets rose-purple, hermaphrodite. — Cai-duiis lanceolatus, Linn. ; Cirmim lanceo- 

 latum, Scop. 



Hab.: An European weed. One of the Plumed Thistles. 



79. -SILYBUM, GaBrtn. 



(A name used by Greek writers for an unknown plant.) 



Involucre subglobose ; bracts many-seriate, broad and fimbriated with spines 

 below, above terminating in a spreading rigid spine, inner lanceolate, erect, 

 pungent. Eeceptacle flat, densely bristly. Filaments glabrous, united in a 

 sheath below ; anther-bases sagittate, auricles connate, mucronate or shortly 

 tailed. Style subentire, ring below the hairs not prominent. Achenes glab- 

 rous, obovoid-oblong, compressed, basal areole straight ; pappus hairs many- 

 seriate, unequal, subpaleaceous, united at the base in a deciduous ring. — A tall 

 spreading plant. Leaves alternate; sinuate-lobed, spinescent, marked with white. 

 Heads large, solitary, terminal, nodding, homogamous. Florets all hermaphro- 

 dite, similar and fertile, purple, tube slender ; limb dilated below, 5-fid. 



1. S. Marianum (Virgin Mary's Thistle), Gn-rtn. Stem grooved, not 

 winged. Leaves with strong spines. Heads 2in. diameter, base intruded. 

 Involucral bracts coriaceous, with a spine ^ to fin. long, outermost mucronate. 

 Eeceptacle fleshy ; florets rose-purple. Achenes Jin. long, transversely wrinkled, 

 black or grey ; pappus white. — Canluus Marianus, Linn. 



Hab.: This large showy European and N. African Thistle, which in som^ of the southern 

 colonies has been troublesome, makes its appearance now and again in the southern parts of 

 this colony, but so far has not spread to any great extent. 



