Onopordum Acanthium. Cotton Thistle 
ONOPORDUM Lin. Gen. PL Syngenesia Polygamia Aqualis. 
Recept. favofum. Cal. fquamae mucronatze. 
Raii Syn. Gen. g. Herba flore ex flosculis fistularibus composito, 
SIVE CAPITATA. 
ONOPORDUM Acanthium calycibus fquarrofis: fquamis patentibus, foliis ovato oblongis fi nuatis. 
Lin. Syft. Vegetab. p. 607. Sp. Pl. p. 1158. FI. Suec. n. 724. 
ONOPORDUM caule alato, foliis ovatis dentatis, dentibus angulofis ariftatis. Haller hifi. n. 159. 
ACANOS Spina. Scopoli FI. Cam. n. 1013. 
SPINA alba tomentofa latifolia fylveflris. Bauh. pin. 382. 
ACANTHIUM album. Ger. emac. 1149. 
ACANTHIUM vulgare. Parkinf. 1149. 
CARDUUS tomentofus, Acanthium didus vulgaris. Raii Syn. 196. Common Cotton Thiftle. 
Hud/bn FI. Angl. ed. 2. p. 354. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 459. 
RADIX biennis. <> 
CAULIS tripedalis ad fepedalem, ad bafin ufque ra- | 
mofus, fublanuginofus, per totam longitu- $ 
dinem alatus, alis latis, fpinofis, fpinis lu- $ 
tefcentibus, divergentibus. <> 
RAMI longi, diffufi. $ 
FOLIA femlia, ovata, acuta, decurrentia, finuata, | 
dentata, feu angulofa, utrinque lanugine in- <> 
cana, inferiora amplifiima, longitudine fef- t 
quipedalia, latitudine fere pedalia, margine <> 
fpinofa. I 
<> 
FLORES purpurei, eredi, terminales, magnitudine | 
florum Cardui mariani. $ 
CALYX : communis fubrotundus, ventricofus, imbri- $ 
catus, fquamis numerofis, fpinofis, undique ^ 
prominentibus, fpinis apice luteis, bafi pilis 0 
albis intertextis, fig. 1. | 
0 
COROLLA: compofita, tubulofa, uniformis; Corol- | 
Iulee hermaphroditze, zequales, monopetalze, <> 
infundibuliformes, tubo tenuiflimo, fig. 2. | 
limbo erecto, ventricofo, quinquefido, laci- <> 
niis aequalibus, linearibus,^-. 3. § 
STAMINA: Filamenta quinque, capillaria, bre- $ 
vilfima ; An ther a purpurea:, in cylindrum § 
coalitae, quinquedentatze, fig. 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germen ovatum, fig. 6 . Stylus $ 
filiformis, flaminibus longior ; Stigma bi- $ 
fidum, fig. 5. <> 
PERICARPIUM nullum. Calyx arde connivens. | 
SEMINA obovata, fubcomprefla, obfolete angulata, | 
rugofa, nigricantia, fig. 7. Pappus feflilis, ad 0 
lentem hifpidulus, fig. 8. f 
RECEPTACULUM cellulis membranaceis, tetrago- $ 
nis, reticulatum, favi inftar, fig. 9. $ 
ROOT biennial. 
STALK from three to fix feet high, branched down 
to the bottom, fomewhat woolly, winged 
throughout its whole length, wings broad 
and fpinous, the fpines yellowifli and di- 
verging. 
BRANCHES long, and fpreading. 
LEAVES feflile, ovate, pointed, running down the 
ftalk, finuated and indented or angular, co- 
vered on both fides with a kind of white 
woolly down, the lowermoft leaves very large, 
a foot and a half long, and almoft a foot in 
breadth, fpinous on the edge. 
FLOWERS terminal, purple, upright, the fize of 
thofe of the Milk Thiftle. 
CALYX : common to all the florets, fomewhat round, 
bellying out, and imbricated, the feales nu- 
merous, fpinous, projeding on every fide, 
the fpines yellow at the points, and at the 
bafe interwoven with white hairs, fig. 1. 
COROLLA compound, tubular, uniform. Florets 
hermaphrodite, equal, monopetalous and 
funnel-fhaped, tube very {lender, fig. 2. limb 
upright, bellying out, divided into five equal 
linear fegments, fig. 3. 
STAMINA: five capillary, very fliort Filaments; 
An thera purple, forming a cylindrical 
tube, terminating above in five teeth, fig. 4. 
PISTILLUM: Germen ovate, fig. 6. Style fili- 
form, longer than the flamina; Stigma bi- 
fid, fig. 5. 
SEED-VESSEL none, the Calyx doling ftrongly 
together. 
SEEDS inverfely ovate, a little flattened, faintly 
angular, wrinkled, blackilh, fig. 7. Down 
feflile, {lightly hifpid when magnified, fig. 8 . 
RECEPTACLE reticulated with fquare, membran- 
ous cells, like a honeycomb, fig. 9. 
When the Cotton-Tlnflle grows to its full fize, in a pure air, uncontaminated by London Smoke, the 
grandeur and fnowy whitenefs of its foliage render it highly confpicuous and ornamental. 
With us it grows moll commonly on the funny fide of dry banks, and occafionally among rubbilh, but 
very feldom in open fields ; hence it proves very little injurious to the hufbandman. 
r ?n S dl0 , 1 r n g ulfiled from the Carduus tribe, by having a receptacle fomewhat like a honeycomb, vid. fig. q 
I t differs alio in another circumflance. When the flowering is over, the innermoft feales of the calyx dole 
ftrongly together, and preferve the feed; in the Thirties, as foon as the feed is ripe, the firft hot day opens 
the heads, expands the pappus, and the leaft wind carries away the feed ; in the Onopordum they remain 
Unit up, and ftrongly defended, nor can they commit themfelves to the earth, or be eaten by birds, till long 
expofure to the weather has decayed the calyx which enclofes them ; on this account, they may afford 
tuitenance to birds later in the year, when fimilar food is not to be obtained. 
June and July are the principal months of its flowering. 
It is not very fubjed to the depredations of infeds, 
of moll quadrupeds. 
and it is 
defended by its ftrong fpines from the attacks 
