276 COMPOSITE. [CentauTea. 



Everywliere abundant in woods, thickets, pastures, hedges, waste ground and 

 by roadsides. Fl. June — September. If. 



" /3. With a., and equally common in some parts of ihe chalk district. Very 

 frequent in Underclifl', as about Ventnor and between Shankliu and Boucbuich. 

 A single specimen wilh white flowers near Niton. 



3. C. ScaUosa, L. Greater Knapweed. " Scales of the invo- 

 lucre appressed with a black pectinate margin, leaves roughish 

 pinnatifid, segments lanceolate acute, pappus pilose about the 

 length of the achene."— 5r. Fl. p. 226. E. B. t. 56. 



On dry pastures, banks, by roadsides, hedges and giassy borders of cornfields, 

 and amongst the corn itself; very common, particularly on the chalk. FL July 

 — September. %. 



Chalky fields above Sandowu bay, with the heads of flowers flesh-coloured and 

 the ray white, also in a field near Yarmouth. Near Westover, with white flowers. 

 A very handsome variety, having the florets of the disk lilac and those of the ray 

 white, was found by the Rev. Wm. Thickers close to St. Lawrence's church, in 

 August, 1842 !!! 



Receptacle copiously beset wilh long, ribbed, very acute, white and narrow, 

 chafi'y paleee. Achenium oblong, compressed and truncate, smooth and shining, 

 the colour of horn, thinly beset with long, soft, white hairs. Pappus about the 

 length of the seed, tawny or purplish, beautifully pectinato-plumose, the hairs 

 very unequal. 



3. C. Cyanus, L. Corn Knapiveed. Blue-bottle. " Scales of 

 the involucre appressed with a brown toothed margin, leaves 

 linear-lanceolate entire, the lowermost toothed or jiinnatifid, pap- 

 pus pilose rather shorter than the achene." — Br. Fl. p. 226. E. 

 B. t. 277. 



In cultivated fields, amongst corn, clover, &c. ; common. Fl. June — August. 

 0. 



W Scales of the involucre spinous. 



*4. C. solstitialis, L. Yellow Star Thistle. St. Barnaby's This- 

 tle. " Scales of the involucre woolly palmato-spinose ending in a 

 long slender spine, stem winged from the decm'rent bases of the 

 lanceolate unarmed entire leaves, radical ones lyrato-pinnatifid, 

 heads terminal solitary."— £r. Fl. p. 226. E. B. t. 243. 



In and about cultivated fields, hedges, roadsides and waste ground ; very rare 

 and probably accidental. Fl. July — September. 0. 



E. Med. — By the roadside in a newly broken-up field above Bonchurch, Rev. 

 G. E. Smith ! 



I have specimens, kindly given me by Mr. Smith, from the above locality, but 

 was unsuccessful in finding it there myself in 1837, where, according to my excel- 

 lent friend, it grew, to all appearance wild, amongst Artemisia and other Com- 

 piisitffi. Usually considered as an imported species, but, being rarely abundant, 

 and, like many other annuals, seldom continuing long in one spot, shifts its sta- 

 tion within certain limits, or disappears entirely. The late Lady Blake informed 

 me it was to be found most years about Barton and Rougham, in Sufi'olk, but 

 scarcely in the same field for many successive seasons. 



5. C. Calcitrapa, L. Common Star Thistle. " Scales of the 

 involucre glabrous ending in a long broad strong canaliculate 

 spine spinulose at its base, stem divaricated, leaves unequally 

 pinnatifid spinttloso-dentate, heads lateral solitary sessile, pap^jus 



