286 DECANDRIA. DIGYNIA. 



Species. 1. M. dlphylla. 2. cordifoHa. S. reni/orvu;>. 

 4. prostrata. 5. grandiflora. 



A North American genus with the exception of ^f. niida 

 of Northen Asia. 



408. SAPONARIA. Z. (Soapwort.) 



Caliop tubiilous 5-toothed, naked at the base. 

 Petals 5; unguiculate. Capsule 1 -celled. 



Flowers axillary, commonly corymbose, calix in some 

 species angular. 



SpEciEa. 1. S. o^cinatis. Introduced, but now abun- 

 dant!} naturalized. This species occurs sometimes mo- 

 nopetalous. 



409. DIANTHUS. L. (Pink.) 



Calix cylindric, coriaceous, S-toothed, the 

 base surrounded by 4 to S scales. Fetals 5, 

 unguiculate. Capsule cylindric, l-celled, burst- 

 ing at the summit. 



Flowers aggregate, fastigiate; or dispersed upon a 

 branching stem. Some of the species suffruticose. 

 Leaves oppc-site as in tlie preceding genus to which this 

 is nearly allied, always narrow, linear or subulate. 



Species. 1. 1). Jlrmeria. Introduced, now natura- 

 lized in a few localities in New Jersey. 2. carohnianus. A 

 very obscure species. 



A genus of more than 40 species, not one of which \s 

 yet found to be indigenous to either America; commenc- 

 ing sparingly in the north of Europe, where several of the 

 species are rather naturalized than indigenous, we ob- 

 serve the genus to accumulate towards the south, and 

 passing into Barbary, the Levant, and Greece, at length 

 partly terminates in Arabia Felix, Palestine and Persia; 

 a few species are found, however, in Siberia, in China, in 

 .Tapan, and even at the Cape of Good Hope. The fine 

 hardy and odorous species have been cultivated from the 

 earliest times, and are amongst those ancient denizens of 

 the humblest gardens which bid defiance to the inroads 

 of the rarer foreigners. 



410. SCLERANTHUS. X. (Knawcl.) 



Calix 1 -leaved, border 5 -cleft. Stamina in- 

 serted upon the calix. Corolla none. Seeds 1 

 or 2 included in the calix. 



