SILYBUM 



DAISY 0BD2B 



CBNTAUEBA 549 



leaves, however, are greener, more deeply 

 «ut and spiny. Flowers in July, purple. 



Culture dc. as above. , 



O. macracanthum. — A striking annual 

 about 6 ft. high, native of Barbary, with 

 ■cobwebby stems. Leaves narrow oblong 

 lance -shaped pointed, spiny -toothed, 

 smooth above, cobwebby beneath. Flowers 

 in July, purple, with a woolly involucre. 



Culture Ac. as above. 



SILYBUM. — A genus having one or 

 two species of smooth perennial Thistle- 

 like herbs, with divided spiny leaves, and 

 sohtary nodding flower-heads. Involucre 

 broad, roundish, with rigid spiny bracts. 

 Disc flat, densely bristly. Achenes smooth. 

 Pappus bristly. 



S. marianum (Our Lady's Milk 

 Thistle). — A native of S. Europe to Asia 

 Minor 1-4 ft. high, with large sinuately 

 lobed and pinnately cut spiny leaves 

 blotched with white. Flowers from July 

 to September, rose-purple, in round heads 

 1-2 in. across. (See Carhenia benedicta, 

 p. 551.) 



Culture and Propagation. — This in- 

 teresting plant wUl grow in ordinary soU 

 and may be used in borders, grassy places, 

 or wild parts of the garden. The roots 

 were formerly used as a pot herb in this 

 •country, where it is occasionally found 

 wUd. It is easily increased from seeds 

 grown in spring or early autumn in the 

 open border. As the foliage is usually 

 regarded as the most ornamental feature 

 of the plant, the flower-heads may be 

 pinched off as they begin to show. 



There is another species (Algerian) 

 called eburneum, rarely seen. It has 

 "white blotched and more spiny leaves, but 

 is not hardy except in the mildest parts. 

 Being a biennial, seeds must be sown 

 annually to keep up a supply, in the same 

 way as S. marianum. 



CENTAUREA (Centaury). — As 

 many as 400 species of this genus have 

 been described, but few are garden plants. 

 They are annuals, biennials, or perennials 

 with radical or alternate, entire or often 

 toothed, incised, or once or twice pin- 

 nately cut leaves. Flower-heads sohtary 

 or paniculate. Florets all tubular. In- 

 volucre ovoid or round, with scarious, 

 fringed, toothed, or spiny bracts. Disc 

 -bristly. Pappus short and bristly, rarely 

 Done. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 



annual kinds (like the Blue Cornflower 

 and Sweet Sultan) may be raised from 

 seeds sown in the open ground in April or 

 September and thinned out to 9 or 12 in. 

 apart. The biennial kinds (like C. FenzU) 

 Tti&y be sown earlier in heat and planted 

 out in May to flower the same year, or in 

 September to flower early the following 

 season. The perennial species may also 

 be raised from seeds sown outside in 

 April, and every second, third, or fourth 

 year the rootstocks may be divided to 

 further increase the stock. All the kinds 

 flourish in ordinary good and well-drained 

 garden soil, and when grown in masses 

 look very ornamental. 



C. alpina. — A perennial about 3 ft. 

 high, native of S. and E. Europe, with 

 spiny decurrent leaves, downy beneath. 

 Flowers in July, yeUow. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds or division. 



C. americana. — A downy N. Ameri- 

 can annual, about 3 ft. high, with oblong, 

 membranous, entire leaves. Flowers in 

 August, red or lilac-purple, 3 in. or more 

 across. The variety alba has creamy 

 white heads of flowers, the exserted sta- 

 mens giving a yellowish tinge to the 

 centre. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds sown in spring and autumn either 

 in the open ground or in gentle heat. In 

 the latter case the seedlings must be 

 pricked out and grown on until favour- 

 able weather in spring before they can be 

 planted out. 



C. atropurpurea. — ^A perennial about 

 3 ft. high, native of E. Europe. Leaves 

 twice pinnately cut into lance-shaped 

 segments. Flowers from Jime to August, 

 dark purple. Bracts ovate lance-shaped 

 serrate, fringed. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds or division. 



C. aurea. — A S. European perennial, 

 about 2 ft. high, with hairy leaves ; lower 

 ones pinnately cut. Flowers from July 

 to September, golden-yeUow. Bracts 

 spiny, spreading. 



Culture do. as above. Increased by 

 seeds or division. 



C. babylonica. — A perennial 6-10 ft. 

 high or more, native of the Levant, with 

 silvery lance-shaped ovate leaves, stalked 

 and shghtly toothed below, decurrent 

 above. Flowers in July, yellow, small. 



