Tar. 574G. 

 LYCHNIS (Petuocoptis) Lagasoe. 



Lagasca's Lychnis. 



Nat. Ord. Caryophylijele. — Pentandria Tri-pentagynu. 



Gen. Char. Calyx inflato-ovoideo- v. clavato-tubulosus, 5-dentatus, 10- 

 nervius. Petala 5, ungue angusto, lamina integra 2-fida v. laciniata, basi 

 saspius 2-squamata. Stamina 10. Torus in gynophorum stipitiforme plus 

 minus elongatus. Ovarium 1-loculare v. ima basi septatum, co-ovulatum ; 

 styli 5, rarius 4 v. 3. Capsula apice in dentes v. valvas breves tot quot styli 

 v. duplo plures debiscens. Semina umbilico marginali affixa, tuberculata 

 v. laevia ; embryo periphericus. — Herbae, saspius erectce, Tiabitu Silenum. 

 Flores scepe speciosi. 



LTcnNis (Petrocoptis) Lagascce ; glaberrima, glauca, caulibus caespitosis 

 dicbotome ramosis inferne 4-quetri3 ramosissin.is, foliis sessilibus basi 

 subconnatis integerrimis obsolete nervosis, infimia linearibus obtusis 

 mediis ovato-lanceolatis subacutis, summis lanceolatis, floribus in di- 

 cbotomiis et in summis ramulorum longe pedunculatis, pedunculis 

 lateralibus medio 2-bracteolatis, calyce obsolete striato, petalis retusis, 

 sty lis 3-5, seminibus stropbiolatis. 



Petrocoptis Lagascse. WillJcomm, Ic. et Descr. Plant. Ilisp. r. 1. p. 32. 

 t. 21 ; et Serf. Fl. Hisp. p. 24. Walp. Ann. v. 4. p. 292. 



Silenopsis Lagasc». Willkomm in Bot. Zeit. 1847, p. 237. Walp. Rep. 

 v. 1. p. 92. 



This is at once one of the most beautiful and most rare of 

 the vock-plants now under cultivation in England, its native 

 locality being confined to a very narrow belt of the sub- 

 alpine region of the North-Western Pyrenees, where it has 

 been seen by but two or three botanists, whilst for beauty it 

 is difficult to conceive anything more sparkling, and at the 

 same time delicate, than the rose-coloured, white-eyed blos- 

 soms. The tendency of the plant is to form a hemispherical 

 mass in the pot, when it resembles in habit and colour, but 

 on a large scale, one of those lovely pink Androaaces of the 

 glacial regions of the Eastern Alps, which have hitherto all 

 but defied our most skilful cultivators. The Royal Gardens 

 are indebted for this gem to Mr. Niven, formerly of Kew, 

 now the energetic curator of the Hull Botanic Gardens; it 

 flowered in May of the present year. 



decemrf.r 1st, 1SGS. 



