628 SILENE. ICLASS X. ORDER III. 



unfrequently found simply waved, and not notched ; and the colour 

 is also far from constant, for S. Anglica is often marked with red, 

 and S. quinquevulnera is often by cultivation white. We have, 

 however, given a figure of a specimen the most distinctly marked, and 

 leave the determination as to how far it is a distinct species to further 

 observation, though at present we are much disposed with Koch, in 

 his Flora Germanica et Helvetica, to consider both this and S. Anglica 

 varieties of S. Gallica. 



Habitat.— Sandy corn fields, near Wrotham, Kent. — Hudson, 

 Duppa's Hill, by Croydon.— Mr. Borrer, 



Annual ; flowering in June and July. 



A common Annual of our gardens, flowering very freely, and though 

 its flowers are very small, they are extremely pretty when deep coloured, 

 and have a showy appearance. 



Sect. 6. SiPHONOMORPHA. OttJi. De Cand. Prod. p. 1, p. 377. 

 Stem elongated. Floivers paniculated, opposite^ on short pedicles. 

 Calyx tubular. 



8. S. nu'tansy Linn. (Fig. 714.) Nottingham Catchfiy. Pubescent 

 stem very leafy at the base, above viscid ; panicle with opposite short 

 branches, and unilateral flowers ; calyx tubular, nearly cylindrical ; 

 petals deeply cleft into narrow segments, crowned ; lower leaves on 

 footstalks, spatulate, the upper lanceolate, sessile. 



English Botany, t. 465.— English Flora, vol. ii. p. 297.— Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 206.— Lindley, Synopsis, p. 46. 



Root tapering, branched, somewhat fleshy. Stem procumbent and 

 woody at the base, more or less branched, aud very leafy, the flowering 

 stem erect, from twelve to eighteen inches high, round, rough, with 

 hairs, and bearing a few pairs of opposite leaves, rarely branched. 

 Leaves of a cheerful green, rough on both sides, with pubescence, 

 entire, single ribbed, the lower ones numerous, spatulate, often on long 

 channeled footstalks, the point sometimes rounded, but generally 

 acute, the upper leaves opposite, lanceolate, sessile. Inflorescence a 

 terminal panicle of several pairs of short branches, forked, and bearing 

 from three to six flowers, on short peduncles^ all turned to one side, 

 each with a bractea at the base, and the whole panicle clothed with 

 hairs, more or less viscid. Calyx nearly cylindrical, the limb of five 

 lanceolate teeth, striated, with ten green stout ribs, pale and sub- 

 membranous between, and clothed with viscid hairs. Petals white, 

 much longer than the calyx, the claw long, narrow, the limb deeply 

 cleft into two linear lobes, and at its base is a scale cleft into two 

 acute or tapering lobes. Stamens with long slender linear filaments^ 

 the anthers oblong, two celled, often purple. Styles slender, mostly as 

 long as the stamens. Stigmas linear, obtuse, downy. Capsule ovate, 

 rather longer than the persistent calyx. Seeds numerous, dark brown, 

 kidney-shaped, marked with lines of elevated points. 



