Cardmis.] doMPOsiTiE. 271 



In woods, thickets and on hedgebanks, also (though mure rarely with us) in dry 

 open waste places, fields ami pastures, but not very generally dispersed over tlie 

 island. Ft. June — October. 0. ex Sm. &c. more probably ^ . 



E. Med. — Near Ashey farm, by the footroad from thence to Nnnwell and Bra- 

 ding, in plenty. Arreton street. On a high wooded bank above the road between 

 Shanklin and Bonchuich, in abundance. Near Lower Knighton. Near Cowes. 

 In Kuigliton P^ast copse. Abundantly on a sloping bank under the S. side of 

 Arreton down, adjoining a copse. 



W. Med. — Plentiful in the park at Swainston, in and skirting the high wood, 

 &c. ; also by the roadside between Swainston and Apes down. 



Achenia wood-brown or palish, oblong, compressed, shining and glabrous, 

 with a few filiform strice. Pappus dirty white. 



The name of this species has no doubt been given it from the strong resem- 

 blance of the first year's root-leaves to those of the Acanthus. 



3. C. tenuiflorus, Curt. Slender-flowered Thistle. " Leaves 

 decurrent lanceolate sinuate spinous somewhat cottony beneath, 

 heads nearly cylindrical aggregated sessile, involucral scales ovate- 

 lanceolate attenuate erect." — Br. Fl. Tp. 221. E. B. t. 4,12. Fl. 

 Dan. xii. t. 2058. 



On hedge- and ditch-banks, in dry waste places, and on the high chalk-downs ; 

 abundantly in various parts of the island. FL May — August. 0. (or (? . Hook). 



E. Med. — At St. Helens. Most abundantly below the rocks near Mirables, 

 &c. [On Ashey down, by the roadside. Dr. Bell-Saiter. At Bembridge, on the 

 shore near the ferry, and on the down over the Culvers, A. G. More, Esq., Edrs.] 



W. Med.^On Aflon down. At Blackgang. On the chalky downs in West 

 Medina, in plenty, B. T. W. " Everywhere about Freshwater," Dawson Turner, 

 Esq., in ditto. 



Well distinguished from C. acanthoides by the cylindrical, not globose, invo- 

 lucres, and by the scales of that part being dilated into an oval form at the base. 



** Pappus feathery. Cnicus, Linn. Sm. Cirsium. 



4. C. lanceolatus, L. Spear Thistle. " Leaves decurrent his- 

 pid pinnatifid their segments generally 2-lobed spreading spinous, 

 involucres ovate tomentose their scales lanceolate spreading." — 

 E. B. t. 107. Cnicus, Willd. : Br. Fl. p. 221. 



A common and troublesome species everywhere in pastures, waste places, by 

 roadsides, on ditch-banks, &c. -F/. June — November. $. 



To none of the genus is the motto, " Nemo me impune lacessit," more appli- 

 cable than to this species, from the extreme pungency of its long and formidable 

 prickles. 



5. C. eriophorus, L. Woolly-headed Thistle. " Leaves semi- 

 amplexicaul not decurrent white and cottony beneath spinous- 

 hairy above pinnatifid, lobes bifid alternate segments pointing 

 upwards and downwards, involucres spherical woolly, the scales 

 with a long reflexed spinous point."- — E. B. t. 386. Jacg. Fl. 

 Aiist. ii. 45, t. 171. Cnicus, Willd. : Br. Fl. p. 222. 



In dry, hilly, chalky or limestone pastures, but very local. Fl. July, August. 



<?. 



E. Med. — Between Luceombe and Bonchurch, as originally remarked by Mr. 

 J. Woods, jun., in Bot. Guide, and where, on the rough ground over which the 

 path goes from Shanklin to Luceombe chine, as also on the steep banks towards 

 the Bonchurch extremity of the landslip at East-end, it still grows in tolerable 

 abundance. About Bonchurch and Ventnor here and there. 



