CARY0PUYLLACE.1i:. 47 



On dry pastures. Var. rt rather local, but occurring; in most of 

 the counties on the East side of Britain, as far North as Moray ; 

 less abundant on the "West side of the island. Var. 3 a doubtful 

 native, although it has been reported from the Queen's Park, 

 Edinburgh, also from Yorkshire and Surrey. 



England, Scotland, Ireland ?. Perennial. Late Summer 



and Autumn. 



Cajspitose. Ptootstock dividing into very slender wiry branches, 

 producing numerous barren shoots Avith leaves ^ to f inch long, 

 having a strong prominent rib beneath. Elowcring stems decumbent 

 at the base, then more or less erect, with the leaves distant or 

 approximate, becoming narrower and more acute towards the top 

 of the stem. Flowers 1 to 6 on each stem, arranged in an irregularly 

 dichotomous jianiculate cyme. Peduncles usually about as long as 

 the calyx. Mowers f inch long, f inch across. Involucral scales 

 and calyx teeth with membranous margins, the mucro of the former 

 and the calyx tube with rough green ribs. Petals varying in the depth 

 of the rose-colour, with a few white sj)ots, and a vandyked crimson 

 band at the base (the latter is present even in the white variety), 

 rounded at the apex, where there are narrowly triangular irregular 

 teeth, not extending above one-fifth the length of the laminae of the 

 petal. Capsule cylindrical. Seeds depressed, obovate, shagreened, 

 slightly convex on the upper and concave on the under surfaces ; 

 on the latter there is a raised line, having the hiluni about the 

 middle. Plant growing in lax tufts, generally only slightly glaucous ; 

 stem and margins of the leaves and sometimes the surfaces of the 

 latter slightly pubescent, with curved hairs. 



Maiden Fink. 



French, (£illet Deltdide. German, Deltahlumuje Nelke. 



From tills species ai'e derived but lew of the varieties which adorn onr gardens, and 

 which are so beautiful as to Lave given i-lse to an expression denoting pre-eminence in 

 excellence. Shakesjieare speaks of the " very Pink of courtesy ;" Young, of the " Pink 

 of puppies." In some parts of Hungary this plant is dried in the sun and steejied in 

 wine, and is considered good as a cure for the ague. We find an old English name for 

 it is " Sop-in-Wine," which suggests a similar pi-actice. Gerarde says : " There is a 

 wild creeping Pink which groweth in our pastures neere about London and in other 

 places, but especially in the great field next to Detford by the path side as you go from 

 Redriffe to Greenewich, which hath many small tender leaves shorter than any other 

 of the wilde Pinkes, set upon little tender stalks, which lie flat upon the ground, taking 

 hold of the same in sundry places, whereby it greatly increaseth, whereupon grow little 

 reddish floures. The root is small, tough, and long lasting." 



