466 



THE COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



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 the county of Fife, in Scotland. 



8. Woolly Thistle. Carduus eriophorus, Linn. (Fig. 557.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 386. Cnicus, Brit. Fl.) 



The stoutest of all our indigenous 

 Thistles, and much branched, but not so 

 tall as some others. Leaves not decur- 

 rent, green and hairy above, white and 

 cottony underneath, deeply pinnate, with 

 narrow lobes ending in very sharp stout 

 prickles. Mower-heads large and glo- 

 bular, clustered 2 or 3 together at the 

 summits of the branches. Involucres 

 covered with a cottony wool, the nume- 

 rous bracts ending in a narrow prickly 

 point. Hair of the pappus feathery. 



In waste places, in central and south- 

 era Europe to the Caucasus, but not ex- 

 tending into northern Germany. In 

 Britain, probably confined to the lime- 

 stone districts of southern England. FL 

 summer. 



Fig. 557. 



9. Melancholy Thistle. Carduus heterophyllus, Linn. 

 (Eig. 558.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 675. Cnicus, Brit. Fl.) 



This species is not prickly like other Thistles, but resembles them 

 in other respects. Rootstock perennial and creeping, the stems tall, 

 stout, deeply furrowed, with a little loose cottony wool. Leaves clasp- 

 ing 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 the spear T s growing singly 



