ad 
Saussure. | XLITI. COMPOSIT A, 249 
are but few in Europe, confined to mountain regions or high northern 
latitudes. 
1. 8S. alpina, DC. (fig. 557). Alpine S.—Stem erect and simple, 
seldom a foot high, covered, as well as the involucre and under sides 
of the leaves, with a loose cotton, which wears off with age. Leaves 
from ovate to lanceolate, entire or toothed, 2 to 3 incheslong. Flower- 
heads ovoid or oblong, nearly sessile, in a small, dense terminal corymb, 
with purple florets. The soft, feathery pappus projects beyond the 
involucres, the inner bracts of which are softly hairy. 
In high northern latitudes, or at considerable elevations in the 
mountain-ranges of Europe, Russian Asia, and Arctic America, TFre- 
quent in the mountains of Scotland, and found also in North Wales, in 
the Lake district of northern England, and in West Donegal, Ireland, 
XXV. CARDUUS. THISTLE. 
Herbs, with hard stems. Leaves often cut, and usually very prickly. 
Involucres globular or ovoid, the bracts numerous, closely imbricated, 
and usually prickly. Receptacle thick, bearing bristles between the 
florets. Florets all equal and tubular. Achenes glabrous, with a pappus 
of numerous simple or feathery hairs longer than the achene itself. 
The largest and widest-spread genus among Cynaroidec, for although 
the species are chiefly European and Asiatic, yet there are also several 
from North America, and the common ones accommodate themselves 
readily even to a tropical climate. They are usually divided into two 
genera, Cnicus (Cirsium of some authors) with a feathery pappus, and 
Carduus proper with a simple-haired pappus; but the distinction is so 
purely artificial that several botanists now revert to the old natural 
limits indicated by Linnzeus. 
Pappus consisting of simple hairs (CARDUUS proper). 
Bracts of the large involucre very broad at the base, with 
lateral as well as terminal prickles 
Bracts of the involucre lanceolate or linear, without lateral 
prickles. Involucres globular, large. 
Involucral bracts broadly lanceolate . 
Involucral bracts linear : 
Involucres ovoid or cylindrical . 
Pappus consisting of feathery hairs (CNICUs). 
_ Leaves decurrent along the stem, forming prickly wings. 
Flower-heads all peduncled. 
Flower-heads few, near 14 inches long, Stem winged 
and prickly. Root biennial. : 5. C. lanceolatus. 
Flower-heads not an inch long, in terminal corymbs. 
Leaves but little decurrent. Rootstock creeping. 
Flower-heads small in dense clusters. Stem winged and 
prickly 2 . ; ‘ : . 6 C. palustris. 
Leaves not decurrent, or only y ver y shortl2 7] 50. 
~ Flower-heads sessile or on very short peduncles. 
Stems stout and branched (about 2 feet). Involucres 
large and cottony . : f : : : f .- S.C. eviophorus. 
Stems dwarf, or scarcely any. Involucres not cottony . 12. C. acaulis. 
Flower-heads all peduncled. Rootstock perennial, often 
‘ creeping. 
Flower-heads in terminal corymbs . 
Flower-heads growing singly on long peduncles. 
_— 
. C. Marianus. 
. C. nutans. 
C. acanthoides. 
. C. pycnocephalus, 
Pm 09 bo 
. C. arvensis. 
=J 
. C. arvensis. 
