COMPOSITE 25 



41. ECHINOPS, L. 



Flowers all bisexual; capitules i-flowered, united into 

 a globular head with a common receptacle; involucral 

 bracts hard, keeled, shining. Not alpine. 



E. sphmrocephalus, L. ; flowers pale blue, stem 3-5 

 ft., with a single globular head, or several ; road-sides ; 

 Western Switzerland, Dauphiny, occasional. 



42. SiLYBUM, Gaertn. 



Flowers bisexual ; outer involucral bracts spiny ; pap- 

 pus deciduous, formed of several rows of denticulate 

 hairs ; filaments connate into a sheath. Not alpine. 



6". Marianum, Gaertn., Milk-Thistle; involucral bracts 

 reflexed, leaves very large, spiny, spotted with white; 

 waste places ; Valais, but often introduced. 



43. ONOPORDON, L. 



Flowers bisexual, purple ; capitules very large ; involu- 

 cral bracts spiny, webbed ; anther-cells tailed ; pappus 

 composed of ciliate hairs, deciduous. Not alpine. 



0. AcantMum,h.,Cotton-Thistle; stem strongly winged, 

 leaves large, very spiny ; waste places. 



44. CiRSIUM, Tourn. (jCnicus, L.). 



Flowers bisexual, usually purple; capitule usually 

 globular, involucral scales very stiff, acuminate or spiny ; 

 receptacle covered with bristles ; pappus feathery ; leaves 

 spiny. The species appear to hybridise freely. 



Several very common species of Thistle belong to this 

 genus, viz. : — C. lanceolatum, Scop., Spear-Thistle, and 



