DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWERS. 355 



flowers. It is a very pretty plant in its foliage and in 

 flowers, grows freely and most profusely, scarcely anything 

 surpassing it for a neat and handsome show. 



It succeeds best in soil composed of fresh loam mixed 

 with leaf mould, and upon a dry subsoil, the layer of com- 

 post over it about eight inches. I find that when the 

 soil is much enriched, the plants have a tendency to pro- 

 duce much foliage ; but when grown in this compost, an 

 amazing production of bloom is the result. It grows 

 about eighteen inches high, and continues to bloom 

 all the season. 



S. COCCinea. Scarlet Tassel-Flower, Cacalia coccinea, 

 is a handsome half-hardy annual, with neat tassel-shaped, 

 scarlet flowers ; one and a half foot high. G. aurea is a 

 variety with orange flowers. In shape and habit they are 

 the same. So \v the first of May. 



SILENE. CATCH-FLY. 



[Name from tlie Greek for saliva, in reference to the viscid secretion which 

 covers the stems of many species.] 



SileilC Pennsylvanica, A native species, found in dry, 

 sandy soils in June, quite a handsome plant ; sometimes 

 called " Wild Pink," from its similarity in habit to some 

 of that genus. The whole plant is viscid or glutinous; 

 the flowers are light purple. 



S. Arm^ria. Catch-fly. This plant is covered with a 

 glutinous moisture, from which flies, happening to light 

 upon it, cannot disengage themselves. This circumstance 

 has obtained it the name of Catch-fly, to which Gerarde 

 adds the name of Limewort. It is a hardy and very 

 common annual, found in almost every garden, producing 

 umbels of pink, and a variety with white flowers. Silene 

 compaeta, S. pendula, S. Schafta, S. Saxifraga are also 

 handsome annual border flowers. Having the plants of 



