

406 DECANDRIA. TRIGYNIA. Silene. 



, misled by the reference to Ray in the Sp. PI. but that reference 

 has since been directed to be erased. Retz. in obs. iii. tells us, 

 that he had Ray's Dover plant growing in his garden, and that 

 it was not specifically different from the Cucubalus Italicus. But 

 it is evident from Ray's description that the Dover plant is a Si- 

 Iene, and not a Cucubalus, for he particularly mentions the crown 

 at the mouth of the blossom, and the circumstance of the stamens 

 protruding from the blossom, and pointing downwards, is so re- 

 4 markable in the C. italicus, that it could not have escaped the 

 observation of our countryman.. 



Mr. Afzelius informed me, that Ray's Dover plant was a 

 Silene, and very much resembling the S. nutans, but not the 

 same ; but on comparing Ray's plant with the fig. of Clusius, re- 

 ferred to by Linnaeus, and with his full description in the fl. Suec. 

 I cannot perceive wherein the difference consists. Since the 

 above was written I have been favoured with a specimen of the 

 Swedish Silene nutans, sent by Professor Thunberg, which only 

 differs from our plant in having smaller leaves. 



- 



marit'ima. S. Stem trailing, branches ascending; calyx veined, smooth: 



petals cloven, se 



FL dan. 857-Lob. adv. 143. and ic. ZTt-Tab> ic. 676. xiii. 



-Ger> em. 469. 2-Bauh. hist. iii. 357* l~Gcr. 38 

 Park . 639. 3 and 4-Pet. 57. l-H. ox. v. 20. 2. 



o 





Stent trailing ; branches ascending. Leaves spear-shaped, 

 varying much in breadth, those on the barren and trailing branches 

 the narrowest, edges transparent, serrated with very minute 

 prickles. Fruit-stalks either from the bosom of the leaves or ter- 

 minating ; mostly solitary, though in the larger and more up- 

 right plants there are sometimes 3 terminating flowers as in the 

 fig. in the Fl. Danica. Floral-leaves 2, opposite, spear-shaped, 

 at some distance from the flower. Calyx semi-transparent, with 

 a net-work of veins, but neither hairy nor ribbed ; often coloured. 

 Petals white, (it is said sometimes red, but I have not seen them 

 so), cloven, segments rounded, very entire; the crown formed by 

 2 little plaits in each petal. Styles sometimes 5. Germen oblong, 

 mulberry coloured. Seeds fixed on short pedicles to the recepta- 

 cle, which becomes loose. When cultivated the segments of the 

 petals are sometimes jagged. 



Sea Campion, or CatchJIy. Cucubalus Behen. fi Linn. Si- 

 lene am<ena* Huds. and Lightf. if his references are to be trusted. 

 In S. amaena the fruit-stalks are 3-flowered and opposite, the 

 flowers all pointing one way; the cups hairy and with 10 angles 

 but none of these circumstances apply to our plant. Sandy places 

 on the sea coast. [Southwold, Suffolk. Mr. Crowe. Wells, 

 Norfolk. Mr. Woodward. Coast of Wales. Mr. Sawyer. 

 Portreath, near Hayle, Cornwall. Mr. Watt. And on almost 



all the Western and Southern coasts .] P. April— Aug. 



1 



