CARYOPH YLLACEAE. 1 3 1 



mens usually as many as petals and alternating with 

 them; filaments sometimes slightly cohering at the base, 

 anthers introrse. Styles 2-5, free or united below; 

 ovary free, 1-celled or imperfectly 2-5-celled at the base; 

 placenta axial ; ovules usually numerous. Fruit a many- 

 seeded capsule, opening by 2-5 entire or bifid valves, or 

 1 -seeded and indehiscent. Embryo straight or curved; 

 endosperm present. 



1. SILENE L. Catch-fly. 



Annual or perennial herbs with clustered or solitary 

 stems and bright red or usually white flowers. Calyx 

 more or less inflated, tubular, ovoid or campanulate, 

 5-toothed or 5-cleft, 10-many-nerved. Petals 5, narrow, 

 clawed. Stamens 10. Styles 3, rarely 4-5; ovary 1- 

 celled or incompletely 2-4-celled. Capsule dehiscent 

 by 6 or rarely 3 apical teeth. Seeds usually spiny or 

 tubercled. 



Calyx 18-20-ribbed. 1. S. muUinerva. 



Calyx 10-nerved. 

 Annuals. 



Glandular-hirsute throughout. 2. S. anglica. 



Upper internodes with a viscid belt, other- 

 wise glabrous. 3. S. antirrhina. 



