he ca a 
252 THE COMPOSITE FAMILY. [Carduus. - 
Asiatic Thistles, accompanying cultivation to all parts of the world; 
extending far to the north, though perhaps not quite to the Arctic 
Circle. Abundant in Britain. Fl. summer. A curious variety, with 
the leaves almost entire, not decurrent, and scarcely prickly (C. setosus) 
not uncommon in_ south-eastern Europe and western Asia, has been 
found in Orkney, in the county of Fife, and in Ireland ; probably 
always as an introduced plant. 
8. C. eriophorus, Linn, (fig. 565). Woolly 7.—The stoutest of all 
our indigenous 7'hzstles, and much branched, but not so tall as some 
others. Leaves not decurrent, green and hairy above, white and 
cottony underneath, deeply pinnate, with narrow lobes ending in very | 
sharp stout prickles. Flower-heads large and globular, clustered 2 or 
3 together at the summits of the branches. Involucres covered with a 
cottony wool, the numerous bracts ending in a narrow prickly point. 
Hairs of the pappus feathery. 
In waste places, in central and southern Europe to the Caucasus, but 
not extending into northern Germany. In Britain, probably confined 
to the limestone districts of southern England and to some localities in 
Yorkshire. Fl. summer. 
9. C. heterophyllus, Linn. (fig..566). Melancholy T.—This species 
is not prickly like other 7histles, but resembles them in other respects. 
Rootstock perennial and creeping, stems tall, stout, deeply furrowed, 
witha little loose cottony wool. Leaves clasping the stem, with scarcely 
decurrent auricles, lanceolate, glabrous, and green above, very white and 
cottony underneath, bordered with very small, bristly but scarcely 
prickly teeth, and sometimes slightly lobed. Flower-heads about the 
size of those of C. lanceolatus, growing singly on long peduncles. 
Involucral bracts glabrous, lanceolate, obtuse, or with a very minute 
not prickly point. Hairs of the pappus feathery. 
In mountain pastures, in northern Europe and Asia, and in the great 
central ranges of both continents. Frequent in Scotland, extending 
into northern England,’and North Wales. Fl. summer. 
10. C. tuberosus, Linn. (fig. 567). Zuwberous 7.—Rootstock woody, 
usually shortly creeping, emitting occasionally a few thick, almost 
woody, tuberous roots, and erect or ascending stems, but little divided, 
or sometimes simple, about 2 feet high. Radical leaves pinnatifid, the 
lobes waved and prickly, slightly hairy above, with more or less of a 
loose cottony wool underneath; the stem-leaves few, less divided, 
sessile or sometimes very shortly decurrent. Flower-heads not very 
large, ovoid, growing singly on long terminal peduncles. Involucral 
bracts lanceolate, not prickly, with more or less of cottony wool. 
Hairs of the pappus feathery. 
- In moist, rich meadows, and marshy, open woods, in western eal 
south central Europe, extending eastwards to Transylvania. In 
Britain, only in Wiltshire, near Heytesbury, and near Swindon. Fl. 
summer. [This is regarded by foreign authors as a variety of 
pratensis. | | 
11. C. pratensis, Huds. (fig. 568). Meadow T.—Probably a mere 
variety of C. tuwberosus. ‘The roots are less tuberous. Stems 1 to 2 feet 
high, usually simple, with a single ovoid flower-head, or occasionally 
divided into 2 or 3 long 1-headed branches. Leaves more cottony — 
than in C. tuberosus and much less divided, the radical ones usually - 
