LYCHNIS. 105 



LYCHNIS. Lychnis. 



Katural Order CaryojjhyUei. A Genus oftlie Dccan- 

 dria Pcntagynia Class. 



The decorated fields 



AVith all their flowery tribe, cannot efjual 

 Those loveher flowers, that with delight I view 

 In the fair garden . 



MlLTOK. 



The Lychnis Chalcedonica may justly be ranked 

 amongst the most ornamental of our hardy flower- 

 ing plants, carrying its large tufts of brilliant scarlet 

 flowers on stems of from two to four feet in height, 

 as if to illuminate the parterre by the glow of its 

 ■vivid colour. The double-flowering white variety 

 is regarded by the Dutch as one of their finest 

 flowers ; and we cannot withhold our regret that this 

 variety, as well as the pale-red, or rosy-petaled, 

 should remain so great a rarity in our gardens, 

 which their presence would so much contribute to 

 beautify. 



Phny tells us that this flower was surnamed Flam- 

 mea, on account of its flaming colour, which is fre- 

 quently nearer the colour of fire than of scarlet. 

 The Latin name of Lychnis being the same as the 

 Greek for this plant, which both 1 heophrastus and 



