ONOPORDUM Lin. Gen. El. S y n g e n e s i a P o l y g a m i a A ü q u a l i s .
Recept. favofum. Cal. fquamse mucronatse.
Raii Syn. Gen. 9 . H erbas f l o r e e x F l o s c u l i s f i s t u l a r i b u s c o m p o s i t o ,
' SIVE GAPITATVE.
ONOPORDUM Acanthium calycibus fquarroßs: fquamis patentibus, foliis ovato oblongis finuatis.
Lin. Sy fl. Vegetab. p. 607. Sp. PI. p. 1158. Fl.Suec. n. 7,24.
ONOPORDUM caule alato, foliis ovatis dentatis/dentibus angulofis ariftatis. Haller hiß. n. 159.
A CANOS ' Spina. Scopoli Fl. Carn. n. 1013.
SPINA alba tomentofa latifolia fylveftris. Bank. pin. 382.
ACANTHIUM album. Ger. emac. 1149.
ACANTHIUM vulgare. Parkinf. 1149..
CARDUUS tomentofus, Acanthium diftüs vulgaris. Raii Syn. 196. Common Cotton Thiftle.
Hudfon Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 354. ' Lightfoot Fl. Scot. p. 459.. '
■ RADIX biennis.
ICAULIS tripedalis ad fepedalem, ad bafin ufque ra- \
mofus, fublapuginofus, per.totam longitu- <
dinera alatus, alis latis, fpinofis, fpinis lu- J
tefcentibus, divergentibus.
I RAMI longi, diffufi.
■ FOLIA feflilia, ovata, acuta, decurrentia, finuata, J
dentata, feu angulofa, utrinque Ianugine in- •
cana, inferiora ampliflima, longitudine fef- ]
quipedalia, latitudine fere pedalia, margine !
fpinofa.
I FLORES purpurei, ereflii, terminates, magnitudine 1
florum Cardui mariani.
I CALYX : communis fubrotundus, ventricofus, imbri- ■
catus, Jquaviis numerofis, fpinofis, undique !
prominentibus, fpinis apice Iuteis, bafi pilis
albis intertextis, Jig. 1.
1 COROLLA: compofita, tubulofa, uniformis; Corol- '
lulce hermaphroditae, aequales, monopetal as, •
infundibuliformes, tubo tenuiflimo, Jig. 2.
Umbo ere&o, ventricofo, quinquefido, Iaci-
niis asqualibus, linearibus, fig. 3.
■ STAMINA: F i l a m e n t a quinque, capillaria, brevifiima
; A n th e r s purpureas; m cylindrum
I coalitas, quinquedentatae, fig. 4.
iPISTILLUM: G e r m e n ovatum, fig. 6. S t y l u s ;
filiformis, ftaminibus longior ; S t i g m a bi- !
fidum, fig. 5.
PlRICARPIUM nullum, Calyx ar&e connivens. V
SEMINA obovata, fubcomprelfa, obfolete angulata, '
rugofa, nigricantia, fig. 7. Pappus feffilis, ad
lentem hifpidulus, fig. 8.
RECEPTACULUM cellulis membranaceis, tetrago- .
nis, retictilatum, favi inftar, fig. 9.
ROOT biennial.
S T A LK from three to fix feet high, branched down
to the bottom, fomewhat woolly, winged
throughout its whole length, wings broad
and fpinous, the fpines yellowifh and diverging.
BRANCHES long, and fpreading.
LEAVES feffile, pvate, pointed, running down the
{talk, finuated and indented or angular, covered
on both fides with a kind o f 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.
C A L Y X : common to all the florets, fomewhat round,
bellying out, and imbricated, the fcales numerous,
fpinous, projecting 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 fhort F i l a m e n t s ;
A n t h e r s purple, forming a cylindrical
tube, terminating above in five teeth, fig. 4.
PISTILLUM: G e r m e n ovate, fig. 6. S t y l e filiform,
longer than theftamina; S t i g m a bifid
»Jig. 5 ‘
SEED-VESSEL none, the Calyx clofing ftrongly
together.
SEEDS inverfely ovate, a little flattened, faintly
angular, wrinkled, blackifh, fig. 7. Down
feffile, {lightly hifpid when magnified, fig. 8.
RECEPTACLE reticulated with fquare, membranous
cells, like a honeycomb, fig. 9.
6n ,^°tton-Thiftte grows to its full fize, in a pure air, uncontaminated by London Smoke, the
18 iaeur and fnowy whitenels of its foliage render it highly confpicuous and ornamental.
verv n [IS ,§rows rcioft commonly on the funny fide o f dry banks, and occafionally among rubbilh, but
/ emom m open fields; hence it proves very little injurious to the hulbandman.
It diffe from the Carduus tribe, by having a receptacle fomewhat like a honeycomb, vid. fig. 9.
Utonp-lv i-3 ° Jn anot^er circumftance. When the flowering is over, the innermoft fcales o f the calyx clofe
t|le healt0^e t 3 n ( ^ Pre^erve the feed; in the Thiftles, as foon as the feed is ripe, the firft hot day opens
mfflu s’ jXPan^s j§|| PaPPus> pill the leaft wind carries away the feed; in the Onopordum they remain
exPofur 3nd S l # 8 l defended, nor can they commit themfelves to the earth, or be eaten by birds, till long
rfaftenanr t0 111 weather |ias decayed the calyx which enclofes them ; on this account, they may afford
I ? to birds later in the year, when fimilar food is not to be obtained.
JUne and July are the principal months of its flowering,
Jt is 1
| quadrupeds/