C 154 ] 



Saponaria Ocymoides. Basil Soap-Wort. 

 ****************** 



Clafs and Order. 

 Decandria Digynia. 



Generic Cbaracjer. 



Cal. l-phyllus, nudus. Petala 5 unguiculata. Cap/, ob- 

 longa i-locularis. 



Specific Charatler and Synonyms. 



SAPONARIA O^v/w/^calycibuscylindricis villous, caulibus 

 dichotomis procumbentibus. Linn. Syjl. Vefr 

 ed. 14. Murr. Jacq. Fl. Aujlr. v. 5. app. t. 23. 

 Ait. Hort. Kezv. v. 2. p. 87. 



LYCHNIS vel Ocymoides repens montanum. Bauh. Pin. 206. 



The Saponaria Ocymoides has been figured in the appendix 

 to the fifth volume of the Flora Aujiriaca in its wild ftate, as in 

 fimilar works every plant is expected to be ; our figure repre- 

 fents a branch of it only, taken (as all ours in this work pro- 

 feffedly are) from a garden fpecimen which grew on a wall 

 of a particular conftru&ion in our garden at Brompton, and 

 ofwhichitwas the principal ornament through the months 

 of May, June, and July, during molt of which time it was 

 covered with a profufion of bloom*. 



Though it produces bloffoms in abundance, it affords but 

 little feed, but may be increafed by flips or cuttings. 



It is a hardy perennial, a native of France, Italy, Swit- 

 zerland, and Carinthia, loves a pure air and a dry {ituationf, i 

 grows beft among rocks, ftones, or out of a wall, and certainly 

 is one of the beft plants imaginable for ornamenting of rock- 

 work. 



I received feeds of it, and many other rare plants, fro m 

 my very kind friend Mr. D aval, ofOrbe, in Switzerland. 



* Pulcherrimos et Iatiflimos in rupibus cefpites efficit. Hatter. 

 t Dele&atur folo duro, arenofo, umbrofo fylvarum. Jacauin. 



