and other places about Oxford, not uncommon: W. B.-Common in Bedfordshire Rev. C. ABBOT.-Cambridgesh. Way-sides, rubbish, and dunhills: Rev. R. RELHAN.-Durham; On waste ground and hedge-banks, but not very common, except near the sea-coast: N. J. WINCH, Esq.-Essex; Common about Woodford: R. WARNER.-Gloucestersh. Between Rockeridge Common and Ripple; near Twining: Mr. E. LEES, in N. B. G. Lower Slaughter: E. F. WITTS, Esq.-Kent; In South Kent: Rev. G. E. SMITH. Tunbridge Wells: Fl. Tonb. Common near Faversham: E. JACOB, Esq.-Norfolk; Abundant near Norwich: S. P. WOODWARD, in N. B. G.-Northumberland; On waste ground and banks, but not very common, except near the sea-coast; near the Scotch Gate: N. J. WINCH, Esq.- Notts; Frequent in the vicinity of Nottingham: Dr. DEERING.-Shropsh. Atchley, near Shiffnall: H. BIDWELL, Esq.Somersetsh. Near the church, Berrow: J. C. COLLINS, in N. B. G.—Suffolk ; Near Bungay: Mr. D. STOCK, in N. B. G.-Surrey; In several places near Battersea: Mr. W. PAMPLIN, jun. In small quantity, by the road-side, between the farm buildings of Captain White and the rail-road, Long Ditton: Mr. WATSON, in N. B. G.-In Sussex; W. BORRER, Esq.-Warwicksh. Bidford, Brome: T. PURTON, Esq. Near the Old Pond, Coton-end, Warwick. In a Jane leading from Nicholas' Meadow to the Emscote road, Warwick: Mr. W. G. PERRY.-Worcestersh. A fine forest of this magnificent thistle at Claines, two miles north of Worcester, in 1836: Mr. E. LEFS, in N. B. G. At Worcester, on the Evesham road: T. PURTON, Esq.-WALES. In Montgomeryshire; perhaps naturalized: J. E. BOWMAN, in N. B. G.-SCOTLAND. Edinburghsh. Near Misselburgh: Mr. ARNOTT.-Fifeshire; Between Limekilns and Charlestown: Mr. NEILL. At Weems on the coast of Fife: Rev. J. LIGHTFOOT.Haddingdonsh. Sea shore beyond Preston-pans: Rev. J. LIGHTFOOT. Near Cockenzie; Links at Port Seton: Mr. MAUGHAN.-Lanarksh. Near the coachhouse Barncluith: N. B. G.-Roxburghsh. Near Melrose: Mr. MAUGHAN.— Isle of Man; On the sand, very rare: Mr. FORBES. Biennial.-Flowers in July and August.

Root tap-shaped. Stem from 3 to 5 or 6 feet high, upright, very much branched, and somewhat woolly, with a broad, leafy, irregularly toothed, spinous border, running up to the involucrum. Leaves sessile, egg-oblong, covered on both surfaces with a white cottony down, spreading, lobed, notched and spinous, the base running down into the numerous prickly borders, or wings, of the stem; lowermost leaves very large, often a foot and a half long, and nearly a foot wide. Flowers solitary, at the ends of the branches, large, upright, of a bluish rose-colour. Involucrum of numerous, spreading, awlshaped, spinous-pointed scales. Seeds inversely egg-shaped, slightly compressed, faintly angular, wrinkled, blackish. Pappus slightly hispid when magnified. Receptacle reticulated with square membranous cells, like a honey-comb.

When the flowering is over, the innermost scales of the involucrum close together, and preserve the seed; in this respect, as well as in the honey-combed receptacle, it differs from the common Thistles, (the carduus* and cnicus tribes), in which, as soon as the seed is ripe, the first hot day opens the heads, expands the pappus, and the least wind carries away the seeds, but in this plant they remain shut up, and strongly defended; nor can they commit themselves to the earth, or be eaten by birds, till long exposure to the weather has decayed the involucrum which encloses them; and thus they afford sustenance to birds late in the year.

The Cotton Thistle is a magnificent and beautiful plant, its whole herbage is covered, more or less, with a white cottony pubescence, which is easily rubbed off, and which, we are told by GERARDE, is gathered for divers purposes, as well by the poor to stuff pillows, cushions, and beds, as by deceitful upholsterers, to mix with feathers for the same purpose. But, as Sir J. E. SMITH observes, it seems very inadequate in quantity, as well as in quality, having no elasticity, and shrinking to nothing under the touch. The receptacle of the flowers, and the tender stalks peeled and boiled, may be eaten in the same manner as Artichokes and Cardoons. The large brown seeds are eaten by Goldfinches; and the bird-catchers about London provide themselves with heads of this Thistle and the Carduus marianus, to entrap these and other birds, in bright autumnal mornings.

*See fol. 177.

1. Rufsell Del.

W. Willisse.

PI'CRIS*.

197

Linn. Class & Order. SYNGENE'SIA†, POLYGA'MIA, ÆQUALIS‡. Natural Order. COMPO'SITES, (Linn.), tribe, CICHORA CEA, Lindl. Syn. pp. 140 & 156.; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. pp. and 201.-Loud. Hort. Brit. pp. 520 & 521.-Mack. Fl. Hibern. pp. 142 & 159.-CICHORA'CEE, Juss. Gen. Pl. p. 168.-Sm. Gr. of Bot. p. 120.-SYNANTHE'REE, Rich. by Macgilliv. p. 454.SYRINGALES; subord. ASTEROSE; type, CICHORACEA; Bnrn. Outl. of Bot. pp. 900, 901, & 935.

GEN. CHAR. Involucrum (common calyx) (fig. 1.) double; inner of many compact, upright, equal scales; outer of several lax, small, strap-shaped ones. Corolla compound, imbricated, uniform; florets (fig. 3.) numerous, perfect, uniform, strap-shaped, abrupt, with 5 teeth. Filaments (see fig. 2.) 5, hair-like, very short. Anthers (see fig. 2.) united into a cylindrical tube. Germen (see figs. 2 & 3.) nearly oval. Style (see fig. 2.) thread-shaped, the length of the stamens. Stigmas 2, reflexed. Seed-vessel none, except the permanent involucrum, which at length becomes reflexed (see fig. 6). Seed (see figs. 4 & 5.) transversely triated. Pappus (see fig. 5.) sessile, slightly feathery. Receptacle (see fig. 6.) naked, dotted.

The double involucrum, innermost of many compact, upright, equal scales, outer of several lax, small, strap-shaped ones; the feathery, sessile pappus; the transversely wrinkled seed; and the naked receptacle; will distinguish this genus from others in the same class and order.

It differs from the genus Helminthia (t. 270.) in the pappus being sessile, not stipitate.

One species British.

PI'CRIS HIERACIOIDES. Hawk weed-like Ox-tongue. Hawkweed Yellow-succory. Curled Hawkweed.

SPEC. CHAR. Stem rough with hooked bristles. Leaves spearshaped, rough, toothed. Flowers corymbose; peduncles with many bracteas. HOOKER.

Engl. Bot. t. 196.-Linn. Sp. Pl. p. 1115.-Willd. Sp. Pl. v. iii. pt. III. p. 1556.--Sm. Fl. Brit. v. ii. p. 814.; Engl. Fl. v. iii. p. 339.-With. (7th ed.) v. iii. p. 882.-Gray's Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 430.-Lindl. Syn. 1st edit. p. 159; 2nd edit. p. 158.-Hook. Brit. Fl. p. 338.-Sibth. Oxon. p. 240.-Abb. Fl. Bedf. p. 168.Purt. Midl. Fl. v. ii. p. 375.-Relh. Fl. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 316.-Hook. Fl. Scot. p. 226.-Fl. Devon. pp. 129 & 154.-Winch's Fl. of Northumb. and Durh. p. 50.-Walker's Fl. of Oxf. p. 221.-Bab. Fl. Bath. p. 28.-Mack. Catal. of Pl. of Irel. p. 69; Fl. Hibern. p. 162.-Hedypnois Hieracioides, Huds. Fl. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 342.-Hieracium asperum majori flore, in agrorum limitibus, Ray's Syn. p. 167.-Hieracium asperum, Johnson's Gerarde, p. 298.

LOCALITIES.-On dry banks, road-sides, and borders of fields, on a gravelly or chalky soil; frequent.-Rare in Ireland.

Biennial.-Flowers in July and August.

Fig. 1. Involucrum.-Fig. 2. Stamens and Pistil.-Fig. 3. A Floret.-Fig. 4. A Seed, crowned with the sessile pappus.-Fig. 5. The same, a little magnified. -Fig. 6. The reflexed Involucrum, showing the receptacle, with one of the seeds attached.

From pikros, Gr. bitter; on account of the bitterness of many of this tribe.

Root fibrous, tough. Stem 2 or 3 feet high, upright, round, furrowed, solid, leafy, rough with short, coarse hairs, which are not bristly or pungent, much branched; branches spreading, furrowed, purplish on their upper side and in their axils. Leaves pointed, wavy, spear-shaped; those from the root unequally and broadly toothed, on bordered footstalks; those on the stem sessile, and somewhat heart-shaped at the base; the uppermost approaching to strap-shaped. Peduncles (flower-stalks) branched, somewhat corymbose, each branch with several, scattered, spear-shaped bracteas, and bearing one largish, bright yellow flower. Inner scales of the involucrum nearly strap-shaped, parallel, hairy on the outside, and exactly the length of the pappus, which is slightly feathery; outer scales loosely spreading, similar to the inner, but unequal, and all much shorter. Seeds oblong, roundish, drawn to a point at both ends, furrowed, and transversely wrinkled. Receptacle flat, with shallow pits, which are somewhat pentagonal.

This plant is a native of many other parts of Europe as well as of England. It is of a dark-green colour, and rough with short, coarse hairs.

SUMMER.

"THEY may boast of the spring-time when flowers are the fairest,
And birds sing by thousands on every green tree;

They may call it the loveliest, the greenest, the rarest,—

But the Summer's the season that's dearest to me!

For the brightness of sunshine; the depth of the shadows;
The crystal of waters; the fullness of green;

And the rich flowery growth of the old pasture meadows,
In the glory of Summer can only be seen.

Oh, the joy of the green-wood! I love to be in it,
And list to the hum of the never-still bees;

And to hear the sweet voice of the old mother linnet,
Calling unto her young 'mong the leaves of the trees!

To see the red squirrel frisk hither and thither,

And the water-rat plunging about in his mirth;

And the thousand small lives that the warm Summer weather
Calls forth to rejoice on the bountiful earth!

Then the mountains, how fair! to the blue vault of heaven
Towering up in the sunshine, and drinking the light,
While adown their deep chasms, all splintered and riven,
Fall the far-gleaming cataracts silvery white!

And where are the flowers that in beauty are glowing
In the gardens and fields of the young merry Spring,
Like the mountain-side wilds of the yellow broom blowing,
And the old forest pride, the red wastes of the ling?

Then the garden, no longer 'tis leafless and chilly,

But warm with the sunshine, and bright with the sheen
Of rich flowers, the moss-rose and the bright tiger-lily,
Barbaric in pomp as an Ethiop Queen.

Oh, the beautiful flowers, all colours combining,
The larkspur, the pink, and the sweet mignionette,
And the blue fleur-de-lis, in the warm sunlight shining,

As if grains of gold in its petals were set!

Yes, the Summer,-the radiant Summer's the fairest,

For green woods and mountains, for meadows and bowers,

For waters, and fruits, and for flowers the rarest,

And for bright shining butterflies, lovely as flowers!"

From "Birds and Flowers," a volume of delightful Poetry, by Mrs. MARY HOWITT.