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Carthamus (Flowers all tubular pappus)

Flowers all tubular; pappus setaceous; involucral bracts many-seriate, imbricate; receptacle flat, densely setose or paleaceous. They succeed well in ordinary garden soil, and are readily increased by divisions of the roots. Carduncellus is rarely grown outside botanic collections. C. mitissimus (least-spiny). fl.-heads blue. May, June. l., cauline ones linear, pinnatifid, as long as the plant. h. 9in. France and Spain, 1734. C. monspeliensium (Montpelier). fl.-heads blue. June, July. l. unarmed; radical ones toothed; cauline ones pinnate. h. 9in. South-west Europe, 1776. CARDUUS (the Latin name used by Virgil, &c.). Thistle. ORD. Compositae. Hardy annuals, biennials, or perennials. Receptacle bristly; involucre tumid, imbricated with spinous bracts; pappus hairs rough, in many series, united by a ring at the base, and deciduous; corollas all tubular, and generally spreading, so as to form a hemispherical head. They are of easy culture in any common soil. None, however, are worth growing in ordinary gardens; but for massing in woods, or in the wild garden, some may be desirable. Hence, we mention the names of a few of the more conspicuous species: acicularis, Candollei, chrysacanthus, nutans, pycnocephalus (Blessed Thistle), &c. Two Compositae frequently met with in gardens, viz., Silybum Marianum and Cnicus benedictus, are often mentioned in books and catalogues under the generic name of Carduus.

CAREX (from keiro, to cut; the leaves of many species have their margins minutely serrated, which cause them to cut the hand if drawn rapidly along them). Sedge. ORD. Cyperaceae. A very large genus of perennial grass-like herbaceous plants, of which upwards of sixty are natives of this country. Inflorescence paniculate, irregularly clustered, spicate or racemose. Stems usually leafy. They are of the easiest possible culture in ordinary garden soil. Propagated by seeds, or by divisions. By far the greater number of this genus possess no horticultural beauty whatever, and are only suitable for naturalising near lakes, &c. Some are grown in pots for table decoration, and make beautiful plants for that purpose.

C. baccans (berried). Inflorescence paniculate. Ripe perigynia varying from coral red to iustrous purple. h. 2ft. to 4ft. A noble species, from Tropical and Sub-tropical Himalaya.

C. Grayi (Gray's). fl., fertile spikes two, or rarely one, consisting of fifteen to thirty flowers, forming globose heads, the ripe perigynia projecting in all directions. July. h. 3ft. North America, 1879. C. intumescens (swollen). fl., spikes usually five to eight-flowered; ripe perigynia projecting outwards and upwards. June. h. 1 1/2ft. North America. C. paludosa (marsh). fl., fertile spikes cylindrical, obtuse. May. l. very broad, keeled, rough; bracts very long, foliaceous. h. 2ft. Britain. (Sy. En. B. 1668.) C. pendula (pendulous). fl., fertile spikes very long, pendulous, cylindrical. May. l. broad; sheaths elongated, nearly equal to the flower-stalks. h. 3ft. to 5ft. Britain. (Sy. En. B. 1660.) C. pseudo-cyperus (Cyperus-like). fl., spikes on long footstalks, cylindrical, pendulous. June. l. 1/2in. broad; bracts very leafy. Stems 2ft. to 3ft. high, acutely triangular. Britain. One of the best marked and most beautiful of the genus. (Sy. En. B. 1685.) C. riparia (river-bank). fl., fertile spikes scarcely pedunculated, broadly cylindrical, acute; scales of the sterile spikes acuminated. May. l. broad; bracts very long, foliaceous. Britain. The variegated form of this is well worth growing in borders or among Ferns. (Sy. En. B. 1679.) C. sylvatica (sylvan). fl., fertile spikes filiform, rather slender, slightly drooping; sheaths half as long as the flower-stalks. May and June. l. narrow. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Britain. (Sy. En. B. 1665.) CAREYA (named after the Rev. William Carey, of Serampore, a distinguished botanist and linguist). ORD. Myrtaceae. Very handsome stove trees, or small shrubs. Flowers large, with white petals and red or yellow stamens. Leaves alternate, feather-nerved, dotless, glabrous. A mixture of one part sandy loam and two parts fibry peat suits them best. Ripened cuttings root freely, if planted in sand, with a hand glass over them, and placed in a moist bottom heat. Careyas may also be propagated by dividing the roots. C. arborea (tree-like).* Slow-match Tree. fl. sessile; petals white; stamens reddish; spikes terminal, few-flowered. l. on short petioles, obovate or oblong, crenate-denticulate, about 1ft. long. h. 30ft. to 60ft. India, 1823. Tree. (B. F. S. 205.) C. herbacea (herbaceous). fl. pedunculate; petals greenish-purple; stamens red; racemes short. July. l. on short petioles, cuneate-obovate or obovate, serrulate, 4in. to 8in. long. h. 6in. to 1ft. Bengal, 1808. Perennial herb, with a woody rootstock.