76 CARYOPHYLLACE^. 



season, under a glass in shade, and by division, but some, owing 

 to the woody tap nature of their roots, are not safe to divide. 



S. caespitosa {Tufted Soapwort). — A dwarf species forming 

 dense carpet-like tufts of stems and leaves 3 or 4 inches high, 

 and producing its pretty bright rose or pink flowers in close 

 umbel-like heads at the ends of the stems. It is best fitted 

 for culture on rockwork, in partial shade, in peat and loam, 

 sandy but moist. Flowers in July and August. Native of the 

 Pyrenees. 



S. ocymoides (Basi/-like Soapwort). — This pretty plant grows 

 in rounded cushion-like masses with dark-green leaves, and 

 produces a profusion of bright pink flowers throughout late 

 spring and the greater part of summer. In some trade-hsts I 

 have seen it erroneously stated as being biennial : it is a true 

 perennial of great hardiness, and adapts itself to almost any 

 position, either on rockwork or border, in tolerably rich sandy 

 loam w^ell drained. Native of central and southern Europe. 



S. officinalis (C(?;;/w^;/ Soapwort). — This species is a native 

 of Britain. It grows erect about 2 feet high, with stout stems 

 clothed with long acutely-oval leaves, and the flowers in dense 

 heads at the top of the stems are pale soft pink. As already 

 stated, it is somewhat encroaching in its nature, and on that 

 account may not be allowed in choice collections, but it is well 

 adapted for naturalising in semi-wild places, on banks where 

 not much shade exists. Thrives in any common soil, and 

 flowers the greater part of the summer. 



Silene (Catc/ijiy). — This is a very extensive group, embracing 

 many very elegant and some brifliant plants fitted for a variety 

 of ornamental purposes, but many also that are weedy and 

 quite useless in gardens. There are not a great many of the 

 most beautiful species in cultivation ; a few of the best, how- 

 ever, are in our hands, along with some that should not rank 

 high as ornamental subjects. The Catchflys are mostly easy 

 to cultivate in rich sandy loam, but the requirements of the 

 species will be noticed in particular under each ; and it is only 

 necessary to remark here that they are propagated by division 

 and cuttings ; but division with certain species having woody, 

 almost simple rootstocks, is not a safe measure, except in very 

 old and well-established plants, which have increased so as to 

 offer breadth of crowns for the purpose. Cuttings of those 

 species with trailing stems are easily managed any time they 

 can be got during summer in the way so often described for 

 such plants, but division in such cases is nearly always easy 

 and safe, and being less troublesome, will most likely be pre- 

 ferred, excepting very large increase is contemplated, when 



