182 FLORA HISTORIC A. 



scarlet. The Latin name of Lychnis being the 

 same as the Greek for this plant, which both 

 Theophrastus and Dioscorides write At>;^v/^, in- 

 duces us to think that it was originally a plant of 

 more eastern nations, and Pliny speaks of it as 

 an Asiatic plant. 



It appears to have been brought to this coun- 

 try from Constantinople, since Gerard, who tells 

 us that it was common in English gardens in 1596, 

 calls it '' Flower of Constantinople and Campion 

 of Constantinople." He also calls it Lychnis 

 Chalcedonica, which seems to affirm it to be a 

 native of Asia Minor; yet in some of our most 

 esteemed botanical works it is placed as a Rus- 

 sian plant, which so ill accords with its specific 

 name. Ulyssus Aldrovandus, an Italian, who 

 visited many countries in search of plants, and 

 who wrote on natural history prior to Gerard, 

 calls it Flos Cretims, Flower of Candia. 



Some etymologists conjecture that the name 

 of Lychnis is derived from Xu;^vo^, hicerna, a 

 lamp, either on account of the flame-colour of the 

 petals or because the down of the leaves was 

 sometimes used to make wicks for lamps. 



It is more than probable that this species of 

 Lychnis was introduced into Europe during the 

 crusades, since we find so many of the Conti- 

 nental languages agree in caUing it the Cross of 



