€L. IV.] 7. ASTEROCEPHALUS CANESCENS. 355 



the ffermen and the flower tliere stands a mennbranaceoiis 

 r own, and within it five white bristles, wliich are much short- 

 er than the germen, and not much larger than the mem- 

 branaceous crown. Four white filaments are connected with 

 the tube of the corolla, and carry reddish anthers. The 

 pistillum is linear, and has a pretty thick stigma. The 

 nectary is the upper surface of the germen. This swells to 

 an eight-cornered, strongly haired achenium, which continues 

 to exhibit the five white short bristles, and the pappus, and 

 contains the evolved embryon in consumed albumen, wiili the 

 radicle turned upwards. 



Diagnosis. 



If we compare the related species, particularly Ast Colum- 

 haria, with this plant, we find this other species, in the first 

 place, much taller, somewhat ciliated also, but by no means 

 of a greyish colour. The leaves of the root are mostly lyre- 

 shaped, very seldom ovate, and deeply serrated. The joints 

 of the stem are reddish, the leaves of the calyx pointed, and 

 a little shorter than the ray, the chaffy leaves of the recep- 

 tacle are finely pointed, and, above all, the bristles of the pap- 

 pus are brown, and almost as long as the germen. The co- 

 lour of the flower is violet or sky blue. 



Ast. agrestis, also, (Scabiosa agrestis Kit. PI. Hungar. 3. 

 t. 204.) may be confounded with our plant. But that 

 species has always lyre-shaped root-leaves, and bi- or tri-pin- 

 nate stem-leaves, — the stem is branchy, and sprinkled with 

 grey hoar ; the leaves of the common calyx are lanceolate 

 and ciliated ; the flowers are of a lilac colour, and the bristles 

 of the pappus of a brown colour, and nearly as long as the 

 germen. Sc. pyrenaica AIL, which some confound with our 

 plant, is completely distinguished from it by white soft to- 

 Tiientum, and by broader lacinia. Bertol. Ammi. Ital. p. 1^^. 



Geographical Distrihution, 



This species grows on the calcareous soil of central Ger- 

 many, France, Austria, and Hungary. It seems not to pass 

 beyond the 54*^ N. Lat. We cannot determine with certain- 



