AUTUMNAL HAWKBIT 609 



with many fine spines. The leaves are pinnatifid, narrow and 

 decurrent on the stem. The flower heads are small darkish 

 purple. The whole plant has a dark purplish-green appearance. 

 The roots are many and fibrous, spreading out just below the 

 surface of the ground. This thistle is very widely distributed on 

 damp pastures and marshy land throughout the pountry. 



Dwarf TMstle, Stemless Thistle^ Ground Thistle {Cntcus 

 acaulis Hoffm.). — A perennial with a rosette of spiny pinnatifid 

 leaves close to the ground ; occasionally the stem grows from 

 3 to 6 inches high, but it is usually almost wanting. The flower 

 heads, which are crimson, are practically stemless also, and grow 

 singly in the centre of the rosette of leaves. 



It is a frequent troublesome weed in dry calcareous pastures. 



Some of the species of the thistles mentioned under the head 

 of "Weeds of Arable Land" occur in pastures and meadows 

 also. For methods of attacking them and descriptions, see 

 page 594. 



Cats'-ear (Hypochceris radicata L.). — A perennial with rough 

 wavy-pinnatifid leaves, spreading close to the ground as in dan- 

 delion ; the stem bearing the flower heads is smooth, branched 

 and rises about a foot high. The flower heads are yellow, and 

 I or 1 1 inches across, and their receptacles have small chaffy 

 scales upon them. 



Rough Hawkbit {Leontodon hispidus L.). — A biennial (? peren- 

 nial), with leaves similar to the last. The stem bearing the flower 

 head is, however, simple, not branched, and is rough like the 

 leaves. There are no scales among the flowers on the receptacle. 



Autumnal Hawkbit (Leontodon autumnalis L.). — A perennial, 

 with leaves generally resembling the last two species in shape, 

 but they are smooth. 



The last three species of plants are common in meadows and 

 pastures. The flower heads are similar to those of the dandelion, 

 and like the latter weed their fruits have a stalk surmounted with 

 a feathery crown of hairs, and are spread by means of the wind. 



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