tO). [ 2562 ]
C N I C U S tuberosus.
Tuberous Plum e-thistle.
SYNGENESIS Polygamia-cequalis.
G en. C har. Cal. swelling, imbricated with spinous
scales. Recept. hairy. Down feathery, deciduous.
Spec. Char. Leaves with slightly-winged stalks,
pinnatifid, lobed, fringed with prickles. Stem
unarmed, with about two stalked flowers. Calyx-
scales lanceolate, pointed, rather spreading.
& y n . Cnicus tuberosus. Willd. Sp. PI. v. 3 . 1 6 8 0 ,
Carduus tuberosus. Linn. Sp. PI. 1154.
Jacea tuberosa. Ger. em. 728.
v v E readily concur with the opinion of Professor Wilidenow,
first published in his Prodr. Berolin. 261, that Cnicus is best
distinguished by its feathery seed-down from Carduus. With
this latter genus then will remain our nutans, t. 1112, acan-
Jhoides, t. 973, tenuiflorus, t. 412, and marianus, t. 976, only,
of the British species.
The plant before us, entirely new to Britain, was discovered
last year by our excellent friend A. B. Lambert, Esq. in a wood
of his own, called Great Ridge, near Boyton house, Wilts, growing
plentifully, in one spot only. It flowers the beginning of
August, and is perennial.
The root creeps, sending down many oblong perpendicular
knobs. The stem is about two feet high, leafy, furrowed, hairy,
without spines, simple, except at the top, where it usually bears
two flowers, scarcely more, the figure in Gerarde being, as far as
we have observed, faulty in this particular. The leaves are pinnatifid,
and variously cut, fringed with copious yellowish prickles,
slightly hairy, their base running down into narrow winged footstalks.
Flowers on long hairy stalks, at first rather drooping,
bright purple, with a slightly downy calyx, whose scales have prominent,
leafy, minutely spinous, tips. Seed-down feathery.—
Linnaeus justly says the flowers are like heterophyllus, t. 675,
but smaller. It is a very distinct species.