qnd other places about Oxford, not uncommon : W, B,— Common in Bedford- 
shire i Rev. C. Abbot. — Cambridgesh. Way-sides, rubbish, and dunhills: 
Rev. R. Relhan. — Durham ; On waste ground and hedge-banks, but not very 
common, except near the sea-coast: N. J. Winch, Esq. — Essex; Common 
about Woodford: R. Warner. — Gloucestersh. Between Rockeridge Common 
and Ripple ; near Twining : Mr. E. Lees, in N. B. G. Lower Slaughter : E. F. 
Witts, Esq. — Kent; In South Kent : Rev. G. E. Smith. Tunbridge Wells: 
FI. Tonb. Common near Faversham : E. Jacob, Esq. — Norfolk; Abundant 
near Norwich: S. P. Woodward, in N. B. G. — Northumberland ; On waste 
ground and banks, but not very common, except near the sea-coast ; near the 
Scotch Gate : N. J. W inch. Esq. — Notts ; Frequent in the vicinity of Notting- 
ham: Dr. Deerino. — Shropsh. Atchley, near Shiffnall : H. Bidwell. Esq. — 
Somersetsh. Near the church, Berrow : J. C. Coli.ins, in N. B.G. — Suffolk; 
Near Bungay: Mr. D. Stock, in N. B. G. — Surrey; In several places near 
Battersea: Mr. W. Pamplin, jun. In small quantity, by the road-side, be- 
tween the farm buildings of Captain White and the rail-road, I.ong Ditton : Mr. 
Watson, in N. B. G. — In Sussex ; W. Bokrer, Esq. — Warwicksh. Bidford, 
Brome : T. Purton, Esq. Near the Old Pond, Coton-end, Warwick. In a 
lane leading from Nicholas’ Meadow to the Emscote road, Warwick : Mr. W. G. 
Perry. — Worcester sli. A fin e forest of this magnificent thistle atClaines, two 
miles north of Worcester, in 1836: Mr. E. Lefs, in N. B. G. At Worcester, on 
the Evesham road : T. Pcrton, Esq. — W ALES. In Montgomeryshire ; per- 
haps naturalized: J. E. Bowman, in N. B. G. — SCOTLAND. Edinburghsh. 
Near Misselburgh : Mr. Arnott. — Fifeshire ; Between Limekilns and Charles- 
town: Mr. Neill. At Weems on the coast of Fife: Rev. J. Lichtfoot. — 
Haddingdonsh. Sea shore beyond Preston-pans : Rev. J. Lichtfoot. Near 
Cockenzie; Links at Port Seton: Mi .Maugiian. — Lanarksh. Near the coach- 
house Barncluith : N. B. G. — Roxburghsh. Near Melrose : Mr. Maughan. — 
Isle of Man ; On the sand, very rare : Mr. Forbes. 
Biennial. — Flowers in July and August. 
Root tap-shaped. Stem from 3 to 5 or 6 feet high, upright, very 
much branched, and somewhat woolly, with a broad, leafy, irregu- 
larly toothed, spinous border, running up to the involucrum. Leaves 
sessile, egg-oblong, covered on both surfaces with a white cottony 
down, spreading, lobed, notched and spinous, the base running down 
into the numerous prickly borders, or wings, of the stem ; lowermost 
leaves very large, often a foot and a half long, and nearly a foot 
wide. Flowers solitary, at the ends of the branches, large, upright, 
of a bluish rose-colour. Involucrum of numerous, spreading, awl- 
shaped, spinous-pointed scales. Seeds inversely egg-shaped, slightly 
compressed, faintly angular, wrinkled, blackish. Pappus slightly 
hispid when magnified. Receptacle reticulated with square mem- 
branous cells, like a honey-comb. 
When the flowering is over, the innermost scales of the involucrum close 
together, and preserve the seed ; in this respect, as well as in the honey-combed 
receptacle, it differs from the common Thistles, (the carduus* and cnicus tribes), 
in which, as soon as the seed is ripe, the first hot day opens the heads, expands 
the pappus, and the least wind carries away the seeds, but in this plant they re- 
main shut up, and strongly defended; nor can they commit themselves to the 
earth, or be eaten by birds, till long exposure to the weather has decayed the 
involucrum which encloses them ; and thus they afford sustenance to birds late 
in the year. 
The Cotton Thistle is a magnificent and beautiful plant, its whole herbage is 
covered, more or less, with a white cottony pubescence, which is easily rubbed 
off, and which, we are told by Gf.ra rdf., is galheied for divers purposes, as well 
by the poor to stuff pillows, cushions, and beds, as by deceitful upholsterers, to 
mix with feathers for the same purpose. But, as Sir J. E. Smith observes, it 
seems very inadequate in quantity, as well as in quality, having no elasticity, 
and shrinking to nothing under the touch. The receptacle of the flowers, and 
the tender stalks peeled and boiled, may be eaten in the same manner as Arti- 
chokes and Cardoons. The large brown seeds are eaten by Goldfinches; and 
the bird-catchers about London provide themselves with heads of this Thistle 
and the Carduus marianus, to entrap these and other birds, in bright autumnal 
mornings. 
* See fol. 177. 
