KNAUTIA*.

Linnean Class and Order. TETRA'NDRIA †, MONOGYNIA. Natural Order. DIPSA'CEE, Juss. Gen. Pl. p. 194.-Lindl. Syn. p. 139.; Introduct. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 196.-Rich. by Macgilliv. p. 457.-Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 520.-SYRINGALES; suborder, ASTEROSE; sect. VALERINE; type, DIPSACEE; Burn. Outl. of Bot. v. ii. pp. 900, 901, 916, & 918.-AGGREGATE, Linn. GEN. CHAR. Involucrum (common calyx) (fig. 1.) of many spreading leaves, surrounding the common receptacle, to which they are attached; the innermost gradually smaller. Proper Calyx (see fig. 7.) double; the outer (involucellum, Lindl./ compressed, with 4 little excavations, closely surrounding the fruit, toothed at the apex, having 2 of the teeth larger than the other 2, placed on a short stalk; the inner (calyx, Lindl./ somewhat cup-shaped. Corolla (figs, 2, 3, 5, & 6.) of each flower monopetalous, tubular, dilated upwards; limb in 4 or 5 equal, or unequal, segments. Filaments (see figs. 2, 3, & 6.) 4, spreading, lax, from the mouth of the corolla, longer than its limb. Anthers oblong, incumbent. Germen inferior. Style (fig. 4.) thread-shaped. Stigma blunt, cloven. Fruit (see fig. 7.) compressed, with 4 pores on depressed points, upon a short stalk. Common Receptacle convex, hairy.

The many-leaved involucrum; the double calyx; the outer compressed, with 4 little excavations, closely surrounding the fruit, placed on a short stalk; and the inner with a somewhat cup-shaped limb; will distinguish this from other genera, with a monopetalous, superior corolla, in the same class and order.

One species British.

KNA'UTIA ARVENSIS. Field Knautia. Field Scabeous. Great Blue-caps.

SPEC. CHAR. Heads many-flowered. Outer calyx with very minute teeth; inner with 8 or 16 somewhat awned ciliæ. Coulter. Lindl. Syn. p. 140.-Hook. Brit. Fl. p. 60.-Winch's Fl. of Northumb, and Durham, p. 9.-Don's Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. iii. p. 687.-Bab. Fl. Bath. p. 24-Scabiosa arvensis, Linn. Sp. Pl. p. 143.-Engl. Bot. t. 659.-Curt. Fl. Lond. t 288.-Huds. Fl. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 62.-Sm. Fl. Brit. v. i. p. 170. Engl. Fl. v. i. p. 195.-With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 218.-Gray's Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 477.-Lightf. Fl. Scot. v. i. p. 114.-Sib. Fl. Oxou. p. 55. - Abbot's Fl. Bedf. p. 29.-Purt. Midl. Fl. v. i. p. 95.-Relh. Fl. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 56.-Davies' Welsh Bot. p. 14.-Hook. Fl. Scot. p. 49.-Grev. Fl. Edin. p. 34.-Fl. Devon. pp. 25 & 162.-Johnst. Fl. of Berwick, v. i. p. 35.-Walk. Fl. of Oxf. p. 35.Mack. Cat. of Pl. of Irel. p. 17.-Scabiosa major communior, folio laciniato, Ray's Syn. p. 191.-S. major vulgaris, Johnson's Gerarde, p. 719.

LOCALITIES.-In pastures, corn-fields, and waste places. Common. Perennial.-Flowers in July and August.

Fig. 1. Involucrum.-Fig. 2. A Floret of the Circumference.-Fig. 3. The same opened virtically to show the situation of the Stamens.-Fig. 5. A Floret of the Disk.-Fig. 6. The same opened vertically.-Fig. 4. Germen, Style, and Stigma. Fig. 7. The Involucellum, and the Calyx, or the outer and inner Calyx of LINNEUS.-Fig. 8. The Fruit, crowned by the inner Calyx; a little magnified.

*So named in honour of CHRISTOPHER KNAUT, physician at Halle, in Saxony, who died in 1694; author of a Catalogue of Plants growing in the neighbourhood of Halle. DoN. + See Cornus sanguínea, folio 114, note †.

Root long, spindle-shaped, mostly branched, running deep into the ground. Stem from 2 to 3 feet high, branched, upright, round, rough with hairs, spotted with dark purple towards the bottom. Leaves for the most part hairy ; the radical ones spear-shaped, serrated, stalked; the rest pinnatifid, the upper ones most deeply so, and quite sessile. Heads of Flowers large and handsome, of a fine pale purple, on simple peduncles; florets of the disk palest, or reddish, nearly equal (see fig. 5.); those of the circumference much the largest (see fig. 2.), cleft into 4 unequal segments, with abortive anthers. Germen 4-cornered, hairy. Style longer than the florets. Seed (see fig. 8.) quandrangular, crowned by the cup-shaped bristly calyx. Receptacle bearded with hairs, shorter than the germens. The flowers are said to change to a most beautiful green, if held for a few minutes over the smoke of tobacco.

The plant varies much in the divisions of its leaves, and in its hairiness; and it sometimes occurs with white flowers.

The variety mentioned by HALLER, with leaves entire and smooth, is reported to have been found in the Isle of Wight, on the 5th of August, 1835: see Mag. of Nat. Hist. v. i. p. 83.

Knautia arvensis may rather be considered a troublesome weed in corn-fields; but in grass fields it may be considered rather useful, as it produces a large quantity of foliage, which is not refused by kine, sheep, or horses.

Dr. RUTTY, in his Materia Medica, remarks, that the leaves have sometimes been described as inodorous and insipid; but, on a more accurate examination, they are found to be bitterish, with some degree of acrimony and astringency. Medicinally, this species has been recommended internally in coughs, asthmas, malignant fevers, &c. taken in the way of infusion, or made into syrup. The juice, externally applied, is said to be good against foulness of the skin; but the present practice has little dependance on it; and Dr. MARTYN says, woe be to him who trusts on such broken reeds.

The

The Natural Order DIPSA'CEE (plants agreeing with the genus Dipsacus in several important characters) consists of dicotyledonous, herbaceous plants or under-shrubs, with opposite, rarely verticillate, leaves, which are very variable in form, even so in the same individual, the radical and cauline ones being very different. flowers are collected into dense heads, surrounded by a manyleaved involucrum (fig. 1.). Each individual flower has a superior, membranous calyx, resembling pappus (see figs. 2, 3, 7, & 8.), surrounded by a scarious involucellum (outer calyx of Linn.) (see fig.7.). The Corolla (see figs. 2, 3, 5, & 6.) is monopetalous, tubular, inserted on the calyx, rarely ringent, but usually cut into 4 or 5 unequal segments, which are imbricated in the bud. The stamens (see figs. 2, 3, & 6.) are inserted in the tube of the corolla, and are of the same number as its segments, and alternate with them, nearly always distinct and free; the Anthers are 2-celled; the Ovarium is inferior, 1-celled, with a single pendulous ovulum; and the Style (fig. 4.) is thread-shaped, with a simple Stigma. The Fruit (fig. 8.) is dry, indehiscent, 1-celled, and crowned by the pappus-like calyx. The seed is pendulous in the fruit; the Albumen fleshy; and the Embryo straight, with a superior radical.

The plants contained in this order have almost the habit of Compósitæ (see folio 27, a.); all have the flowers growing in heads. Many of the exotic species are elegant border-flowers, and are cultivated with great facility. The only British Genera in this order are, Dipsacus, Scabiosa, and Knautia. See LINDLLY'S Syn., and Dox's Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot.