Onopordum Acanthium. Cotton Thistle. 



ONOPORDUM Lin. Gen, PL Syngenesia Polygamia ^Equalis. 



Recept. favofum. Cal. fquamse mucronatae. 

 Raii Syn. Gen. g. Herbal flore ex flosculis fistularibus composito, 



SIVE CAPITATE. 



ONOPORDUM Acanthium calycibus fquarrofis: fquamis patentibus, foliisovato oblongis fmuatis. 

 Lin. Syfi. Vegetab. p. 607. Sp. PL p. 1158. Fl. Suec. n. 724. 



ONOPORDUM caule alato, foliis ovatis dentatis, dentibus angulofis ariftatis. Haller hi/l. n. 159. 



ACANOS Spina. Scopoli FL Cam. n. 1013. 



SPINA alba tomentofa latifolia fylveflris. Bauh. pin. 382. 



ACANTHIUM album. Ger. emac. 1149. 



ACANTHIUM vulgare. Parkin/. 1149. 



CAPJDUUS tomentofus, Acanthium di&us vulgaris. Raii Syn. 196. Common Cotton Thiflle. 

 Hud/on FL Angl. ed. 2. p. 354. Lightfoot Fl. Scot. p. 459. 



RADIX biennis. f ROOT biennial. 



CAULIS tripedalis ad fepedalem, ad bafin ufque ra- $ STALK from three to fix feet high, branched down 

 mofus, fublanuginofusj per totam longitu- $ to the bottom, fomewhat woolly, winged 



dinem alatus, alis latis, fpinofis, fpinis lu- J throughout its whole length, wings broad 



tefcentibus, divergehtibus. § and fpinous, the fpines yellowifh and di- 



| verging. 



RAMI longi, diffufi. BRANCHES long, and fpreading. 



FOLIA feffilia, ovata, acuta, decurrentia, fmuata, | LEAVES feffile, ovate, pointed, running down the 

 dentata, feu angulofa, utrinque lanugine in- $ ftalk, finuated and indented or angular, co- 



cana, inferiora ampliffima, longitudine fef- | vered on both fides with a kind of white 



quipedalia, latitudine fere pedalia, margine Q woolly down, the lowermoft leaves very large, 



fpinofa. t a foot and a half long, and almoft a foot in 



<j[ breadth, fpinous on the edge. 



FLORES purpurei, erefti, terminales, magnitudine J FLOWERS terminal, purple, upright, the fize of 



florum Cardui mariani. $ thofe of the Milk Thiftle. 



CALYX : communis fubrotundus, ventricofus, imbri- | CALYX : common to all the florets, fomewhat round, 

 catus, fquamis numerofis, fpinofis, undique $ bellying out, and imbricated, the fcales nu- 



prominentibus, fpinis apice luteis, bafi pilis <| merous, fpinous, projeaing on every fide, 



albis intertextis, Jig. 1. % the fpines yellow at the points, and at the 



Q bafe interwoven with white hairs, Jig. 1. 



COROLLA : compofita, tubulofa, uniformis ; Corol- | COROLLA compound, tubular, uniform, Florets 

 lulaz hermaphrodite, aequales, monopetalae, hermaphrodite, equal, monopetalous and 



infundibuliformes, tubo tenuiffimo, fig. 2. ^ funnel-ffiaped, tube very (lender, fig. 2. limb 



limbo erefto, ventricofo, quinquefido, laci- <> upright, bellying out, divided into five equal 



niis aequalibus, linearibus, jig. 3. % linear fegments, jig. 3. 



STAMINA: Filamenta quinque, capillaria, bre- % STAMINA: five capillary, very fhort Filaments ; 

 viflima; Anthers purpureas, in cylindrum I Anthers purple, forming a cylindrical 



coalitae, quinquedentatae, Jig. 4. $ tube, terminating above in five teeth, jig. 4. 



PISTILLUM: Germen ovatum, jig. 6. Stylus | PISTILLUM : Germen ovate, fig. 6. Style fih- 

 filiformis, ftaminibus longior ; Stigma bi- J form, longer than the ftamma ; Stigma bi- 



Mum, fig. 5. f fid, fig- 5- 



PERICARPIUM nullum, Calyx arae connivens. | SEED-VESSEL none, the Calyx clofing ftrongly 



§ together. 



SEMINA obovata, fubcompreffa, obfolete angulata, | SEEDS inverfely ovate, a little flattened, faintly 



rugofa, nigricantia, Jig. 7. Pappus feflilis, ad § angular, wrinkled, blackifh, fig. 7. Down 



lentem hifpidulus, fig. 8. % feffile, flightly hifpid when magnified, fig. 8. 



RECEPTACULUM cellulis membranaceis, tetrago- % RECEPTACLE reticulated with fquare, membran- 



nis, reticulatum, favi inftar, fig. 9. § ous cells, like a honeycomb, fig. 9. 



When the Cotton-Thiftle grows to its full fize, in a pure air, uncontaminated by London Smoke, the 

 grandeur and fnowy whitenefs of its foliage render it highly confpicuous and ornamental. 



With us it grows mod commonly on the funny fide of dry banks, and occafionally among rubbifh, but 

 very feldom in open fields ; hence it proves very little injurious to the hufbandman. 



It is diftinguifhed from the Carduus tribe, by having a receptacle fomewhat like a honeycomb, vid. fig. q. 

 It differs alfo in another circumftance. When the flowering is over, the innermoft fcales of the calyx dole 

 ftrongly together, and preferve the feed ; in the Thirties, as foon as the feed is ripe, the firft hot day opens 

 the heads, expands the pappus, and the leaft wind carries away the feed ; in the Onopordum they remain 

 &ut up, and ftrongly defended, nor can they commit themfelves to the earth, or be eaten by birds, till long 

 expofure to the weather has decayed the calyx which enclofes them; on this account, they may attord 

 fuftenance to birds later in the year, when fimilar food is not to be obtained. 



June and July are the principal months of its flowering. 



It is not very fubjea to the depredations of infeas, and it is defended by its ftrong fpines from the attacks 

 of moll quadrupeds. 



