C E N T A U R E A. 
2 6 
alpine S wilTe rland, Spain, and Siberia. Cultivated in 
1597. by Gerarde. 
34. Centaurea Rliapontica, or Swifs centaury: calyxes 
fcariofe; leaves ovate-oblong, toothletted, entire, petioled, 
tomentofe beneath. This is a liandfome plant; the root 
is thick, round, black, wrinkled, and irregular, (trikes 
deep in the ground, and when dry is aromatic; flem eigh¬ 
teen inches high. Found in Swiflerland and about Ve¬ 
rona, whence Miller received the feeds. Cultivated in 
1636, by Mr. John Tradefcant, jun. It flowers in July. 
The roots of this, and feveral of the fpecies allied to it, 
are bitter and aftringent, and formerly were much given 
in cafes wherein we now give Jefuits’ bark. The plants 
alfo will dye yellow. 
33. Centaurea Babylonica, or Babylonian centaury: ca¬ 
lyxes fcariofe; leaves fubtomentofe, decurrent, undivided; 
radical leaves lyrate. Native of the Levant; perennial. 
36. Centaurea glaftifolia, or woad-leaved centaury; ca- 
lv\.es fcariofe; leaves undivided, quite entire, decurrent. 
Root perennial, ftriking deep into the ground ; from this 
fprings a great tuft of long entire leaves, fhaped like thofe 
of woad, growing upright, with many upright (talks, near 
five feet high, having a (ingle leaf at each joint, of the 
fame (hape, but fmaller and decurrent, and dividing at 
top into two or three brandies, each terminated' by a 
(ingle head of yellow flowers, in a filvery calyx. The 
leayes have veins prominent on both their Tides. Native 
of the Levant and Siberia ; flowering from June to Au- 
guft, but rarely producing good feqds in England. 
37. Centaurea conifera, or cone centaury: calyxes fca- 
rioie ; leaves tomentofe, next the root lanceolate, on the 
(tern pinnatifid ; (fern limple ; root perennial, Angle, lend¬ 
ing out in the fpring feveral entire leaves, and afterwards 
a (Ingle (talk, more than a foot high, having one divided 
hoary leaf at eacli joint; at the top comes out a Angle, 
large, fcaly, head, fhaped like a pine cone, very taper at 
the top, where it clofely furrounds the florets, which juft 
emerge from the calyx, are of a bright purple colour, and 
appear in June. Native of the South of Europe ; culti¬ 
vated by Mr. Miller, wljo received the feeds from Verona. 
IV. Stoebte: with the (pines of the calyx palmated. 
38. Centaurea fonchifolia, or fowthiftle-leaved centaury: 
.calyxes palmate-fpiny ; leaves fubdecurrent, fpinulous, 
repand-toothed. Found on the coaft of the Mediterra¬ 
nean: introduced about 1780 bv M. Thouin. 
39. Centaurea feridis: calyxes palmate-fpiny; leaves 
decurrent, tomentofe, oblong, the lowed finuate-toothed. 
This is a tomentofe plant, hardly a foot high, with the 
items branching a little. Native of Spain ; perennial. 
40. Centaurea Romana : calyxes palmate-fpiny; leaves 
decurrent, unarmed; radical leaves pinnatifid, the end 
lobe largeft. Root biennial; (terns three feet in height; 
flowers large, red, the calyxes ftrongly armed with fpines. 
It flowers in July, and the feeds ripen in September. It 
is a native of the Campania of Rome. 
41. Centaurea fphaerucephala : calyxes palmate-fpiny ; 
leaves ovate-lanceolate, petioled, toothed ; root annual; 
the flem rifes two feet high, dividing at top into three or 
four branches, which are terminated by pretty large heads 
of flowers, with woolly calyxes ftrongly armed with fpines. 
It fl owers in July, and in warm feafons fometimes ripens 
the feeds in September. Native of Spain and Barbary. 
This, .and the foregoing fort, were cultivated by Mr. 
Miller in 1768. 
42. Centaurea Ifnardi: calyxes palmate-fpiny; leaves 
lyrate-toothed, hifpid, almoft flem clafping; flowers feflile, 
terminal ; root perennial ; Hems feveral, afeending, about 
a foot in length, commonly fqtiare, hairy, furrowed ; 
flowers purple, folitary, and appear in June and July; 
they are compofed of from forty to forty-five regular flo¬ 
rets in the dilk, and fifteen to eighteen neuter florets in 
the ray, comprifed in a conic calyx ; cultivated in 1717, in 
the royal garden at Paris ; the feeds came from Holland. 
43. Centaurea napifolia, or turnip-leaved centaury: 
-calyxes palmate-fpiny; leaves decucrent, finuate, fpiiju- 
lou?, radical leaves lyrate. Root annual; flem branch¬ 
ing, three feet high ; lower leaves not much unlike thole 
of the turnip, rounded at the end, and the bale cut into 
many fegments, diminifliing gradually to the top of the 
flem, and winged. Native of the Archipelago ; cultiva¬ 
ted in 1759 by Mr. Miller. 
4-3. Centaurea afpera, or rough centaury : calyxes pal¬ 
mate, three-fpined ; leaves lanceolate-tcothed. The wing¬ 
ed ferns, dark-coloured though villole leaves, and buflty 
habit of the plant, diftinguiffi this from all others. Grows 
about Montpellier, in Ttifcany, and Portugal. 
V. Calcitrapae : with the fpines of the calyx compound, 
45. Centaurea benedidfa, or blefled thiftle : calyxes dou¬ 
ble, fpiny, woolly, involucred ; leaves femidecurrent, 
toolhletted, fpiny. Root annual; fern erect, roundifti, 
channelled, rough, from one to two feet high, often 
branched towards the top ; leaves long, elliptical, rough, 
bright green above, underneath whitifh, and reticulated. 
Native of Spain and the Levant; flowering from June to 
September; cultivated in 1597, as appears from Gerarde. 
This plant obtained the appellation of benediEtus from its 
being fnppofed to poflefs extraordinary medical powers; 
for, exclufive of tbofe qualities ufually aferibed to bitters, 
it was thought to be a powerful alexipharmic, and capa¬ 
ble of curing the plague, and other malignant febrile dif- 
orders. It was alfo reputed to be good againft worms, as 
well as againft all forts of poifon. Simon Paulli declares 
that it has no equal in confolidating putrid and ftubborn 
ulcers, and even cancers. He relates the cafe of a woman 
whole breads were wafted by a cancer to the very ribs, 
and yet was cured by waftiing them with the diftilled wa¬ 
ter of this plant, and fprinkling them with the powder of 
its leaves; and Arnoldusde Villa Nova relates, that he 
faw the putrid and hollow ulcers of a man, who had all 
the flefli of his legs con fumed to the very bone, and who 
had tried all other medicines in vain, cured by the fol 
lowing recipe: Take the bruifed leaves of this plant, and 
boil them with fome generous wine, then add fome melted 
hog’s lard; let them boil a. little more, and then putin 
fome wheat flour, furring it about all the while with a 
fpatula, till it comes to the confidence of an ointment; 
lay this warm on the ulcers twice a-day. In fpite how¬ 
ever of all thefe high commendations, we do not find this 
plantconfideredasof any great importance in the modern 
materia medica. In lofs of appetite however, where the 
ftomach has been injured by irregularities, it is allowed 
that the good effects of the infufion of carduus benedidlus 
have been often experienced ; the decodtion of it alfo in 
water or pofiet-drink (till maintains its popular reputation 
as a gentle vomit, for which purpofe it is to be drunk in 
pretty large quantities. 
46. Centaurea eriophora, or woolly-headed centaury ; 
calyxes double-fpiny, woolly ; leaves femidecurrent, en¬ 
tire, and finuate; Item proliferous. Native of Portugal; 
flowering in July ; cultivated in 1768 by Mr. Miller. 
47. Centaurea yEgyptiaca: calyxes double-fpiny, fome- 
what woolly; leaves feflile, lanceolate, entire, and toothed; 
Item proliferous, a foot high. Native of Egypt; annual. 
48. Centaurea calcitrapa, or fiar-thiftle : calyxes fub- 
double, fpiny, feflile; leaves pinnatifid, linear, toothed ; 
fern hairy. Root annual; fiem from a foot to eighteen 
inches and two feet in height, hairy, light green, very 
much branched, with thorns or prickles ; branches alter¬ 
nate, fpreading. Native of England, Swiflerland, and 
the fouthern parts of Europe. Linnaeus affirms that it 
grows abundantly about London, and in the very city u- 
felf. It is extremely common about Cambridge, and is 
find to haye been ufed by the brewers inftead of hops. 
The plant and root are both very bitter, and are fome¬ 
times adminiftered abroad in agues, &c. 
49. Centaurea calcitrapoides, or Phoenician centaury: 
calyxes fubdouble, fpiny; leaves ftem-clafping, lanceo¬ 
late, undivided, ferrate. Linnaeus calls it the daughter 
of the foregoing, but with undivided leaves. Found near 
Nifmes, and in Paleftine. 
50. Centaurea 
