53 



VISCARIA oculata. 

 Dark-eyed Viscaria. 



DECANDRIA PENTAGYNIA. 



Nat. ord. Silenace^e. (Caryophylle*:). 



VISCARIA, Rbhl. Calyx ebracteolatus, oblongus, clavatus v. turbi- 

 nato-carapanulatus, teres v. quinquedentatus. Corolla petala 5, carpophon 

 brevis v. elongati apici hypogyne inserta, unguibus linearibus, laminis bifidis, 

 excisis v. subintegris, basi nudis. Stamina 10, cum petalis inserta ; filamenta 

 filiformia ; anther* biloculares, longitudinaliter dehiscentes. Ovarium basi 

 quinque-rarissime triquadriloculare, septis circa medium 5, apicem columella? 

 centralis sensim deliquescentibus superne uniloculare. Ovula plurima, co- 

 lumellas centrali cum septis connatse v. superne libera; funiculis distinctis 

 inserta, amphitropa. Styli 5, rarissime 3 v. 4, filiformes, intus stigmatosi. 

 Capsula basi quinque, rarius tri-quadrilocularis, apice inter stylos simplici 

 eorundem numero in denies dehiscens. Semina plurima, mmuta, reniformia, 

 eranulata v. tuberculata. Embryo annularis, albumen fannaceum cingens ; 

 cotyledonibus incumbentibus. Herbae Europe* et arctic* amphge*, annu* v. 

 perennes, erect*; foliis oppositis, linearibus v. lanceolatts ; flonbus in dicho- 

 tomiis ramorum alaribus v. in cymulas thyrsoideo v. subumbellatm confertas 

 congestis, roseis v. purpureis. EncQ. Genera, 5249. 



§. Eudianthe, Rchb. Calycis fructiferi tubus angulatus, transversim 



rugosus, laciniae elongatse. 

 V. oculata ; calycis tubo abrupte constricto, petalorum appendicibus brevibus 



emarginatis, capsula granulata ovata. 

 Lychnis oculata. Jas. Backhouse in lift. 



This plant is so like the old hardy annual called Agro- 

 stemma Cceli rosa, that for some time we regarded it as a mere 

 variety. But upon a more minute examination we nnd jnarKs 

 of difference that seem to belong to a species. In the tart 

 place it has a dark eye, which the old kind has not. lhen 

 its petals have a short and slightly emargmate appendage, and 

 not a long bifid one. In the form of the calyx there is this 

 difference, that in the plant before us it contracts sudden) 

 about the middle, while in Cceli rosa it narrows very ^gradu- 

 ally. Furthermore, the surface of the seed-vessel here is 

 rough with fine granulations, but in Cceli rosa is smooth. It 



