250 THE COMPOSITE FAMILY. [ Serratula. 
1. S. tinctoria, Linn. (fig. 554). Common Sawwort.—A stiff, erect, 
scarcely branched, and nearly glabrous perennial, 1 to 3 feet high; the 
lower leaves more or less pinnate, with lanceolate, pointed, and finally 
toothed segments, the terminal one the largest; the upper leaves toothed 
only, or with a few lobes at their base. Flower-heads in a terminal corymb, 
partially dicecious, the male heads rather stouter than the females. In- 
volucres 7 or 8 lines long, with numerous appressed bracts, the inner ones 
often coloured at the tips. Florets purple. 
In open woods, thickets, and bushy pastures, common throughout 
temperate Kurope, and extending far into Scandinavia, but not indicated in 
Asiatic Floras. Spread over nearly the whole of England, but scarcely 
penetrates into Scotland, and not recorded from Ireland. 7, late im 
summer. 
XXIV. SAUSSUREA. SAUSSUREA. 
Herbs, with the habit and characters of Serratula, except that the hairs 
of the pappus, or at least the inner ones, are very feathery, and the anthers 
have at their lower end hair-like appendages or tals. 
The species are chiefly numerous in central and Russian Asia. There 
are but few in Europe, confined to mountain regions or high northern 
latitudes. 
1, S. alpina, DC. (fig. 555). Alpine Saussurea.—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 inches long. 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. Frequent 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. 
Invoélucres globular or ovoid, the bracts numerous, closely imbricated, aud 
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 Cynaroidee, 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 indi- 
cated by Linneeus. 
Pappus consisting of simple hairs (CArDUUS proper). 
Bracts of the large involucre very broad at, the base, with 69 
_ lateral as well as terminal prickles. . ~ oe lL. C. Marianus. 
