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CENTAURÈA Balsamita.
Costmary-leaved Centaurea.
Linnean Class and Order. SYNGENESIA POLYGAMIA Æ q u a l is .
Natural Order. COMPOSITÆ. Adans. fam .2 .p .\Q 3 . Earn. III. C y n a -
R A C EÆ. Trib. 2. Centaurieæ. , . . •
C E N TAU R E A . Filamenta papillosa. Pappus multisenalis. Ackemum
compressum, areola laterali. Corolla florl neutri, si adest, 5-partita.
Herbæ proecipue regiones mediterráneas habitantes, facie polymorphæ ; involucri
foliolis inermibus et appendiculatis aut spinosis. Less. comp,
p. 7.
** Involucri squamis appendiculatis inermibus. Cyanus.
C. Balsamita, sericeo-lanata ; caulibus subsimplicibus, foliis radicalibus lyratis
caulinis oblongis mucronatis integerrimis petiolatis,capitulis ovatis, involucri
squamis glabris : appendice pectinato-palmatà, radiis trlpartitis disco
brevioribus, areolà acbeuii verticali ! . „ nnno
Centaurea Balsamita. Lam. diet. 1. p . 660. Willd. sp. p l. 3. p. 2298.
Spreng. syst. 3. p. 400. ■ n q/io
Carduus orientalis costi bortensis folio. Tournef. cor.p. 55. it. i . p. o4y.
Root perennial. Stems one or two feet high, erect, rigid,
cylindrical, furrowed, simple or divided, about the thickness
of a writing quill, slightly woolly, and tumid at the top.
Leaves the radical ones lyrate, with lanceolate, pointed, entire
lobes ; those of the stem petiolate, ovate-lanceolat^
mucronate, entire, even, coriaceous, ribbed, clothed on both
sides with adpressed cottony down, attenuated at the base,
3 or 4 inches long; upper ones sessile, narrower, and terminated
by a spinous bristle. Petioles about half an inch long,
channelled above, dilated at the base. Capitula terminal,
solitary, ovate, ventricose, sessile, an inch long. Involucrum
the scales adpressed, coriaceous, glabrous, glossy, green,
with a short cinereous, palmated appendage, with awl-
shaped, compressed, nearly equal, connivent, glabrous teetfr
the terminal one shorter and stiffer. Rhachis thickly clothed
with long setaceous, white, persistent paleæ. Florets ot the
ray numerous (15), sterile, slender, filiform, shorter than the *!I 'ilHll!