53 



YISCARIA oculata. 

 Dark-eyed Viscaria. 



DECANDRIA PENTAGYNIA. 

 Nat. ord. Silenace.e. (Caryophylle^). 



VISCARIA, RoM. Calyx ebracteolatus, oblongus, clavatus v. turbi- 

 nato-campanulatus, teres v. quinquedentatus. Corollce petala f), carpophori 

 brevis v. elongati apici hypogyne inserta, unguibus linearibus, larainis bifidis, 

 excisis v. subintegris, basi nudis. Stamina 10, cum petalis inserta ; filametit a 

 filiformia ; anthercB biloculares, longitudinaliter dehiscentes. Ovarium basi 

 quinque-rarissime triquadriloculare, septis circa medium 5, apicem columellae 

 centralis seusim deliquescentibus superne uniloculare. Ovula plurima, co- 

 lumellse centrali cum septis connatse v. superne liberae funiculis distinctis 

 inserta, amphitropa. Styli 5, rarissime 3 v. 4, filiformes, intus stigmatosi. 

 Capsula basi quinque, rarius tri-quadrilocularis, apice inter stylos simplici 

 eorundem numero in dentes deliiscens. Semina plurima, minuta, reniformia, 

 granulata v. tuberculata. Einbryo annularis, albumen farinaceum cingens ; 

 cotyledonibiis incurabentibus. Herbse Europece et arcticce amphiyece, annuce v. 

 perennes, erectce ; foliis oppositis, linearibus v. lanceolatis ; floribus in dicho- 

 tomiis ramorum alaribus v. in cymulas thyrsoideo v. subumbellatim confertas 

 conyestis, roseis v. purpureis. Endl. Genera, 5249. 



§. EuDiANTHE, Rchb. Calycis fructiferi tubus angulatus, trausversim 



rugosus, lacinise elongatse. 



V. oculata ; calycis tubo abrupte constricto, petalorum appendicibus brevibus 



emarginatis, capsula granulata ovata. 

 Lychnis oculata. Jas. Backhouse in litt. 



This plant is so like the old hardy annual called Agro- 

 stemma Cceli rosa, that for some time we regarded it as a mere 

 variety. But upon a more minute examination we find marks 

 of difference that seem to belong to a species. In the first 

 place it has a dark eye, which the old kind has not. Then 

 its petals have a short and slightly emarginate appendage, and 

 not a long bifid one. In the form of the calyx tliere is this 

 difference, that in the plant before us it contracts suddenly 

 about the middle, while in Coeli rosa it narrows very gradu- 

 ally. Furthermore, the surface of the seed-vessel here is 

 rough with fine granulations, but in Coeli rosa is smooth. It 



