Cnicus.] composite. 481 



rigid, feathery, deciduous with a basal ring. — Species about 150, all 

 in N. temperate regions. 



Heads dicecious, flowers duU-pnrple, corolla- 

 limb 5-partite 1. 0. arvensis. 



Heads 2-sexual, flowers yellowish, corolla- 

 limb 5-fid 2. C. WallicUi, 



var. fasciculata. 



1. C. arvensis, Hoffm. Deutschl. Fl. ed. 2, i, II, 130; F, B. I. in, 362 ; 



Watt E. D.; Collett Fl. Siml. 272. Carduus lanatus, Eo«6. FL In(i. m, 

 408. 



An erect leafy herb. Stems many from the perennial creeping root, 2*3 ft. 

 high, not winged, usually simple, cobwebby tomentose above, the sexes 

 forming separate tufts. Leaves sessile, 3-5 in. long, linear-oblong or 

 obovate, sinuate or pinnatifid, scabrid above, white-tomentose or woolly 

 beneath ; lobes divergent, tipped with spines. Heads dioecious, solitary 

 fascicled or corymbose, those of the males globose, -g-l in. in diam. ; 

 the fem. heads much longer and with more lax invol-bracts. Invol- 

 bracts glabrate or cobwebby ; outermost short, ovate or triangular- 

 ovate, ending in a short spine ; inner gradually longer, with undulate 

 often recurved tips ; innermost linear-lanceolate, scarious. Corolla 

 dull purple, its limb 5-partite. Achenes smooth, shining. Pappus 

 light brown. 



An abundant weed within the area, especially on cultivated ground. 

 Flowers Feb. to May. Distbib. Plains of Bengal and Punjab, W, 

 Himalaya from Kumaon to Kashmir, ascending to 12,000 ft. in W. 

 Tibet ; also in China, and from W. and N. Asia to Europe. The seeds 

 yield an oil, which is used by the poorer classes for burning. 



2. C. WaUicliii, Hook. f. in F. B. I. ii% 363, 



Stem robust, branched, 4-10 ft. high, leafy ; branches spreading, grooved. 

 Leaves sessile, sinuate-pinnatifid, glabrous on both surfaces or cottony 

 and tomentose beneath ; lobes ending in a long slender rigid spine. 

 Heads f-l| in. solitary and on naked peduncles or sessile and fascicled. 

 Outer invol-hracts lanceolate, ending in appressed erect or recurved 

 spines ; inner longer, with spreading or recurved more or less dilated 

 acute or spinescent tips. Flowers loisexua,!. CoroZJa 5-fid, f in. long, 

 yellow. Pappus brown. 



The type of this very variable species has not been found within the 

 area of this flora- Soma of the varieties approach very closely to 0, 

 argyracanthus. It is a common Himalayan species and occurs also on 

 the Nilgiri Hills. 



Var. fasciculata, Hook. /. in F. B. /, Hi. 364. Very spinous. Leaves 

 white-tomentose or cottony beneath. Heads fascicled. Inner invol- 

 hracts with long lanceolate dilated spinescent tips — Dehra Dun (Eoyle, 

 Jacquemont, Dathie). 



