COMPOSITE. 



469 



In dry pastures, in temperate Europe and Russian Asia, extending 

 northward to southern Scandinavia. In Britain, only in the southern 

 and some central counties of England. FL summer, rather late. In 

 some situations, on the Continent, the stem will grow out to 6 or 8 

 inches, but this variety is very rare in England. 



XXV. ONOPORD. ONOPOKDON. 



Large-headed, stout, prickly herbs, only differing from Thistle in the 

 receptacle, which, instead of bearing long chaffy bristles between the 

 florets, is honeycombed into a number of little cavities, the jagged 

 edges of which are shorter than the achenes. 



There are but few species, natives of the Mediterranean and Cauca- 

 sian regions, one only of which extends into central Europe. 



1. Common Onopord. Onopordon Acanthium, Linn. 

 (Fig. 502.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 977. Scotch or Cotton Thistle.) 



A stout, branched biennial, attaining 

 sometimes 6 feet or even more, covered 

 with a loose cottony wool. Leaves 

 coarsely toothed or pinnatifid, waved 

 and very prickly, their broadly-decurrent 

 margins forming prickly wings all down 

 the stem. Flower-heads large, globular, 

 erect, and solitary on the branches of a 

 large irregular panicle. Involucral bracts 

 numerous, ending in a long, lanceolate, 

 spreading prickle. Hairs of the pap- 

 pus rather longer than the achenes, not 

 feathery, but strongly toothed when seen 

 under a magnifying glass. 



A native of the Mediterranean region 

 and west-central Asia, not uncommon 

 also in central Europe and all across 

 Russian Asia, but spreads readily with 

 cultivation, and it is difficult to say how 

 far north it is indigenous. Now found 



in several parts of England, but certainly not wild in Scotland, although 

 generally selected to represent the Scotch heraldic Thistle. Fl. end 

 of summer. 



Fig. 562. 



