SPERMATOPHYTA CARYOPHYLLACEAE 439 



pinkish, fragrant, opening at night, calyx tube elongated and enlarged by the 

 ripening pod; petals 2-cleft and crowned; seeds small blackish, roughened, kidney 

 shaped. 



Distribution. Native to Europe. Common in waste places from New Bruns- 

 wick to Florida, Kansas and Iowa to Manitoba. 



Poisonous properties. According to Stebler and Schroter, the leaves of 

 Silene latifolia are eaten by stock and it is regarded as of some value for for- 

 age purposes; but Prof. Schaffner, in his "Poisonous and Other Injurious Plants 

 of Ohio," suggests that the sleepy catchfly may be poisonous. 



3. Lychnis (Town.} L. Campion 



Erect herbs, with ovoid tubular oblong or inflated calyx 5-toothed, 10-nerved, 

 occasionally with leaf-like lobes; petals 5, or rarely 4; styles 5, rarely 4, alternate 

 with the often appendaged petals; seeds numerous, globular or kidney-shaped 

 pod opening by as many, or twice as many valves. A small genus of about 40 

 species native to the cooler regions. Several species cultivated for ornamental 

 purposes. The scarlet lychnis (L. chalcedonica) is frequently cultivated in old 

 gardens. 



Lychnis Flos-cuculi L. Ragged robin 



A downy, branching, pubescent annual, or viscid above, from 2-3 feet high ; 

 leaves lanceolate or linear lanceolate; flowers in loose panicles, red, bluish, or 

 whitish; calyx glabrous, short, petals cleft into 4 lobes; capsule globose. 



Poisonous properties. It contains a form of saponin called lychnidin. 

 Lychnis dioica L. Evening Lychnis 



Biennial, usually dioecious, viscid, pubescent; leaves ovate-oblong or ovate- 

 lanceolate; flowers few, loosely paniculate, white or pinkish, opening at evening; 

 calyx tubular, becoming swollen with the ripening fruit; styles 5. 



Distribution. Native to Europe, common in eastern and middle states. In 

 the West it is not uncommon in clover fields, where it is introduced with clover 

 seed. 



4. Agrostemma Linn. Corn Cockle 



Calyx ovoid, 10-ribbed ; teeth elongated, longer than petals ; stamens 10 ; 

 styles 5, opposite unappendaged petals; leaves linear. Tall annual or biennial 

 plant. 



Agrostemma Githago L. Corn Cockle 



A hairy annual weed; leaves linear-lanceolate, acute or long-acuminate; 

 flowers perfect, long-peduncled, calyx lobes long, linear, surpassing the purple 

 red petals, capsules 1-celled; large with numerous large seeds which are rough- 

 ened arid black. 



Distribution. This plant is widely distributed from Nova Scotia to Quebec, 

 south from New England to the southern states, and westward and northward, 

 generally in wheat growing regions. Difficulty in screening wheat by ordinary 

 methods has caused this weed to be generally scattered in wheat growing regions. 

 These screenings are much used in feeding stock in some places. The farmer 

 often sows cockle with his wheat. 



