264 Compositea—LEchinops. 
40. ECHINOPS. 
Herbs of Thistle-like aspect remarkable for having the capi- 
tules 1-flowered in terminal clusters, resembling the flower- 
heads of many other genera. Florets white or blue, with an 
involucre of prickly scales and bristles. The cluster of heads 
or capitules is surrounded by an involucre of linear scales, thus 
completing the appearance of a single head. The species are 
chiefly from the Mediterranean region. The name is from éyivos, 
a hedgehog, and dyes, resemblance. They are commonly 
known as Globe Thistles, 
1. EF. Ruthéuicus (fig. 148).—Perennial rising to a height 
of 2 or 8 feet. Florets blue. A native of Germany, flowering 
all the Summer. ; 
2. EH. Ritro.— Very near the foregoing, with pinnatifid 
not spinescent leaves, downy beneath, and webbed above. 
South of Europe. 
3. E. corniyerus.—This has very spiny silvery foliage and 
large white flower-heads. Central Asia. 
4. KB. spheroe’phalus.—aA taller plant attaining a heivht of 
5 or 6 fect. Leaves large, pinnatifid, clothed with a cottony 
down beneath. Flower-heads very numerous, blue. South of 
Ewope. . 
11, XERANTHEMUM. 
Annuals from the Mediterranean region having the coloured 
radiating scarious involucral bracts of the Everlastings, and 
employed for the sarae purposes ; but the other characters are 
those of the Thistle tribe, Receptacle paleaceous, pappus 
bristly. Outer involucral bracts brown, small, scaly, imbri- 
cated. The name indicates the nature of the flower-heads, 
being a compound of Enpds, dry, and dvOewov, flower. 
1. X. ainwun.—A branching plant from 1 to 2 feet high, 
with linear cottony leaves and solitary terminal purple, pink or 
white flower-heads on long peduncles. 
42. CENTAUREA. 
A large genus of annual and perennial herbs of very diverse 
habit. Involucre globose or oblong; bracts imbricated, scarious, 
fringed, toothed, or spinous. Receptacle bristly. Florets all 
tubular, the outer ones often larger and neuter ; lobes 5, narrow. 
Achene flattened; pappus short and bristly, rarely none. There 
are upwards of 200 specics, the greater part of which inhabit 
