88 CARYOPHYLLACE.E. 



undivided, and frequently of a glaucous hue. Among 

 garden flowers, the Pink, Carnation, Sweet William, 

 and Scarlet Lychnis, all belonging to this order, are well 

 known ; and our hedges are much indebted for their 

 showy appearance in spring to the great White Stitch- 

 wort, and in summer to the Eed and White Kobin. 

 Botanists have -distributed the plants of this order into 

 two groups, or sub-orders. 



Sub-order I. SIL^NE^E. Pink Tribe. 



Sepals connected into a tube ; stamens united at the 

 base with the stalk of the ovary. 



* Calyx 5-cleft ; petals 5, with long claws; stamens 10. 



1. DIANTHUS (Pink). Calyx with 2 or more opposite 

 scales at the base outside ; styles 2 ; capsule 1 -celled, 

 opening at the top with four valves ; seeds flattened. 

 (Name in Greek signifying the flower of Jupiter, from 

 its beauty and fragrance.) 



2. SAPONARIA (Soapwort). Calyx naked at the base ; 

 styles 2'; capsule 1 -celled, opening at the top with 4 

 valves ; seeds rounded. (Name from sapo, soap, the 

 plant abounding in a soapy juice.) 



3. SIL^N^ (Catchfly). Calyx naked at the base ; 

 petals generally crowned at the top of the claw ; styles 

 3 ; capsule imperfectly 3-celled, opening at the top with 

 6 valves. (Name of ' doubtful origin. The English 

 name was given in consequence of flies being often 

 caught in the- viscid fluid which, in some species, sur- 

 rounds parts of the stem.) 



4. LYCHNIS (Campion). Calyx naked at the base ; 

 petals generally crowned at the top of the claw ; styles 

 5 ; capsule' opening at the top with 5 or 10 teeth. 

 (Name from the Greek lychnos, a lamp ; a the thick 

 cottony substance on the leaves of some species, or some 

 similar plant, having been employed as wicks to lamps." 

 Hooker.) 



