90 



CARYOPHYLLE^, ' [Silene. 



■ m 



317. ToT)^, FL of Un. St. r. 1. ;?. 451. BigeL Fl. BosL ed. 2. p. 183. De Cand. Prodr. 

 V. I. p. 376. 



Hah. Common throughout Canada, and from Lake Huron (Dr. Todd) to the Pacific at the mouth of 

 the Cohimhia; apparently, however, confined to the plains. — A nearly glabrous plant, with numerous 

 and very slender hranches and peduncles, which are almost capillary, yet quite erect; and remarkable for its 

 short broadly oval, or almost obovate, shining calyx. The blossoms, t)r. Eigelow observes, are probably 

 nocturnal, since he has never seen them expanded in the day. Corolla small, whitish. 



Sect. VI. Siphonomorpha. OttL MSS. Caulescentes. Flores paniculati raro soUtarii ; 



pedicelU oppositi breves* Calyx tubulaius. DC* 



8. S. virghiica; viscoso-pubescens, caule procumbente assurgente ramoso, foliis laiiceo- 

 latis inferioribus longissime petiolatis basi longe ciliatis, floribus niagnis paniculatis, 

 calycibus amplo clavatis, petalis longe unguiculatis latis bifidis coronatis. DC — Linn. Sp. 

 FL p. 600.? MicL Am. v. 1. p. 272. Fursh, FL Am. v. 1. p. 316. Elliott, CaroL v. 1. p. 

 516. Torrey, FL of Un. St. v. 1. p. 450. De Cand. Prodr. v. 1. p. 379. 



Hab. Lake Huron. I)r, Todd. — There are several specimens of this plant in Dr. Todd's collection, but 

 the corolla is so much withered and faded that I cannot satisfy myself whether it is the S. virginica or 

 pennsylvanica ; nor indeed do I well understand the difference between the two species. The present indi- 

 vidual has its petals deeply bifid, on ^vhich account I refer it to S. virginica : but Elliott assures us that the 

 petals vary in having the limb entire or divided. The colour of S. virginica is said to be a bright crimson, 

 that oi P. pennsylvanica, a bright purple (Elliott'), purplish white (Bigelow). Torrey unites the S. Catesbmi 

 of Walt, to this, flhich, judging from Dr. Schweinitz's specimens, is very different, and more allied to 

 S. regia. Bot. Mag, t. 1724. 



9. jS*. pennsylvanica; viscido-pubescens, caulibus procumbenlibus, foliis linearibus 

 longis, floribus paniculatis, calycibus longis tubulatis, petalis Iseviter emarginatis subcrena- 

 tis. DC — Mich. Am. v. 1. p. 272. Pursh, Fl. Am. v. 1. p. 316. Bigel. FL Bost. ed. 2. p. 

 183. Torrey^ FL of Un. St v. 1, p. 450, Elliott, Carol, v. 1. p. 515. De Cand. Prodr. v. 

 1. p. 381. Bot. Reg. t 247. 



Had. Rocky Islands on the north side of Lake Erie, abundant. Douglas. — Of this I have seen no 

 specimens, and rely on Mr. Douglas's correctness for its being a Canadian plant. Dr. Torrey refers to it, 

 though with a mark of doubt, the S. virginica of Liun£eus. Smith has thrown no light on these species in 

 Rees' Cyclopedia. De Candolle places them in two different subsections, the latter in that " calycibus 

 elongatis clavatis ;" and pennsylvanica in the division " calycibus longe clavatis.^* I confess I do not see a 

 difference in this respect. 



Sect. VII. Caulescentes. Pedunculi axillares; pedicelli elongati. 



10. S. Menziesii ; pubescens, caute erecto ramoso dichotomo, foliis lato lanceolatis basi 

 apiceque acuniinatis, pedunculis axillaribus folium vix superantlbus, floribus parvis, caly- 

 cibus obovatis 5-fidis, petalorum limbo bipartite laciniis linearibus, (Tab. XXX.) 



Tota planta teuera, pube brevi, minuto obtecta. Caules spithamaei ad pedalem, erecti, flexuosi, teretes, 

 subdense foliosi. Folia opposita, bi-rarius triuncialia, patentia, lanceolata, uninervia, basi attenuata, sed 

 2n/eWo?-a sohimmodo subpetiolata ; reliqua sessilia, apice in acumen subpungens attenuata. Pedunculi suh- 

 biunciales, foliis vix longiores, graciles, simplices, erecti, alterni vel plerumque oppositi, nudi, nisi supremi, 

 qui bibracteati. Flores magnitudine Silenis guadridentattc. Calyx oblongo-obovatus, basi subattenuatus, 

 apice profunde 5-dentatus sen quinquefidus, dentibus vel paululum majores, acuminatis, obscure decemcostatus, 

 pubescens. Petala 5, calyce multo longiora, alba, unguiculata, corona nulla, limbo bipartito, laciniis linearibus. 



t 



