THE 
BRITISH HERBAL. 
CLASS XXV. 
Plants whfe flower h comfofed of numerous flofcuks, placed within a com- 
mon cup, and forming a kind of head ; each flofcu/e being tubular, and 
the cup formed of fumerous fcaly parts. 
THERE Is not In the whole compafs of Nature a clafs more obvioufly or more diftinftly cha- 
ratterifed than this. The head fhcws itfelf to the moll flight obferver as diftmft from what 
is feen in all other kinds; and it is univerfal in thefe. ^ 
From this Mr. Ray was induced to range them in one genus, under the name of m^!/<«* ; and 
fo conformable to herfelf is Nature, even in the leaft points, that the Lrnnaan fyftem, eftablilhed 
upon the threads in the flower, does not feparate them. 
That author places them in his clafs {yr.l^«fia; the charafter of which is, that the buttons at 
the fummit of the threads coalefce, and form a cylinder. All the capitate plants have th>s pecuhar 
charafter: but though it ferves to keep them together, it does not anfwer the fecond purpolc ot the 
diftinflions in fcience, which is, to feparatc all others from them ; tor the other ccmpcfuc-fo'Jiered 
plants, the/.w-;foyf;s,and fuch others, having their buttons codefcent in the fame form, are umted by 
that charafter with the capitate plants. 
Thus Linnxus has therefore of neceffity, accordmg to his method, arranged them : the thftks 
and coltsfoot ftand in the fame clafs and are united under it with the -vtokt and halftim. 
SERIES 
I. 
Natha of B K I T A I N. 
Thofe of which one or more fpecies are naturally Wild in this country. 
GENUS 1. 
GENTLE THISTLE. 
C I R S I U M. 
THE -eneral cup is formed of many fcales, and fwells out in the middle. The flowers in this 
are numerous f and each is formed of a lingle petal, of a tubular lhape, very narrow at the 
bafe and wide at the mouth, where it is divided into five fegments. The feeds are oblong, and 
win«d with down ; and the leaves of the plant are fet with very flight, weak prickles. 
LinniEus places this among the/,«^em> ; the filaments converging, and the buttons being united 
in a cylindrick form. 
I. Enclifh 
