256 THE COMPOSITE FAMILY. [Centaurea. 



In waste lands, not far from the sea ; very common on the Mediter- 

 ranean, and extending up the west coast of Europe to Guernsey. Fl. 

 summer and autumn. 



5. O. Calcitrapa, Linn. (fig. 576). Star-thistle. — A coarse, green 

 annual, sometimes slightly covered with cottony down, seldom rising 

 to a foot in height, but with very spreading or prostrate branches. 

 Leaves pinnatifid, with a few long linear or lanceolate lobes. Flower- 

 heads sessile among the upper leaves or in the forks of the branches, 

 not large in themselves, but the involucral bracts end in stiff spreading 

 spines, J to 1 inch long, with 1 or 2 smaller prickles at their base. 

 Florets purple. Achenes without any pappus. 



In waste places, and on roadsides, in central and especially southern 

 Europe to the Caucasus, and most abundant near the sea. Found 

 occasionally in some of the southern counties of England, but scarcely 

 farther northward. Fl. summer and autumn. 



6. C. solstitialis, Linn. (fig. 577). Yellow G. — A stiff, erect annual, 

 1 to 2 feet high, with few branches, and covered with a white cottony 

 wool. Kadical leaves pinnatifid, upper ones small and linear, decurrent 

 in long narrow wings along the stem. Flower-heads solitary at the 

 ends of the branches, nearly globular ; the innermost bracts ending in 

 a small shining appendage ; the intermediate ones in a long spreading 

 prickle, with 1 or 2 small ones at its base ; the outermost usually with 

 only a few small palmate prickles, as in 0. aspera. Florets of a bright 

 yellow. 



In waste and cultivated places, in southern Europe and western Asia, 

 especially near the sea, and, as a weed of cultivation, widely spread 

 over the world. In Britain, it appears occasionally in cornfields, and 

 sometimes in waste places near the sea. FL summer and autumn. 



XXIX. TRAGOPOGON. SALSIFY. 



Biennials or perennials, with tap-roots, and long, narrow, grass-like, 

 entire leaves, broader and sheathing at the base. Involucre of 8 to 12 

 bracts, nearly equal, and slightly united at the base, produced into 

 long green points. Achenes narrowed at the top into a long beak, 

 bearing a pappus of feathery hairs. 



A genus not very numerous in species, spread over Europe and tem- 

 perate Asia, easily known among the British Ligulatce by the foliage. 

 In this respect it resembles Scorzonera, a numerous exotic genus, of 

 which one species, the S. hispanica, is often cultivated in our gardens 

 for the same purposes as the Salsify. 



Flowers yellow 1. T. pratmsis. 



Flowers purple 2. T. porrifolius. 



1. T. pratensis, Linn. (fig. 578). Meadow S., Yellow Goafs-beard. 

 — Stem erect, slightly branched, 1 to 2 feet high. Radical and lower 

 leaves 5 to 8 inches long or even more, shortly dilated at the base, 

 glabrous and slightly glaucous ; upper leaves shorter, with the dilated 

 base longer in proportion. Peduncles long, thickened at the summit, 

 each with a single head of yellow flowers. Involucral bracts narrow- 

 lanceolate, 1 to 1 \ inches long. Florets sometimes not half so long, but 

 varying from that to the full length of the involucre. Achenes long 



