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 (0. 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 T. — The stoutest of all 

 our indigenous Thistles, 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 Thistles, but resembles them in other respects. 

 Rootstock perennial and creeping, stems tall, stout, deeply furrowed, 

 with a 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 G. 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). Tuberous T. — 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 and 

 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. O. pratensis, Huds. (fig. 568). Meadow ^.—Probably a mere 

 variety of O. tuberosus. 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 



