AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



SUene Continued. 



protuberances. June and July. I. roundish-obovate ; lower 

 ones on long footstalks; uppermost ones sessile, h. 6in. to 

 12in. Stem branched, pubescent Levant, 178L Annual. 



S. chloraafolia (Chlora-leaved). /, white, turning reddish as 

 they fade, large, in a terminal panicle ; calyx long, striped ; petals 

 cloven half-way down, with a two-lobed crest. August and 

 September. I. elliptical, pointed; upper ones rather cordate. 

 Stems branched. A. 1ft to 2ft Armenia, 1796. A smooth 

 perennial. (B. M. 807 ; B. B. 1989 ; S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 263.) 



S. compacta (compact). JL pink, crowded into dense corymbs ; 

 calyx yery long, clavate ; petals oboval, entire, crowned ; bracts 

 narrow, shorter than the pedicels. July. I ovate-cordate, 

 sessile ; two large ones, like an involucre, near the corymb, 

 appearing as if they were connate. Stem erect, branched. 

 h. 14ft. Russia, 1823. A glabrous, glaucous biennial. See Fig. 

 484. (L. B. C. 1638 ; S. B?F. G. 64 ) 



S. Elizabeth* (Elizabethan).* fl. lin. in diameter; calyx mar- 

 gined with purple ; petals bright rose-colour, the daws white 

 below, the blade cuneate-flabellate, emarginate ; panicle ter- 

 minal, dichotomous. July. L lanceolate, acute, spreading; 

 lower ones 2in. to Sin. long, becoming gradually smaller upwards. 

 Stems tufted, erect or ascending, and, as well as the leaves, 

 viscid-pubescent A. 9in. or more. Italy, 1863. Perennial. 

 (B. M. 5400 ; R, G. 1009, 2.) 



S. fimbriata (fringed-petaled). /. white, in large, spreading 

 panicles ; calyx greatly inflated, with broad teeth ; petals fringed, 

 incurved after flowering. May to August L large, ovate- 

 lanceolate. undulated, on long footstalks. A. 2ft to 4ft Cau- 

 casus, 1803. A pubescent perennial. (B. M. 908.) 



S. gallica (French). A variety of S. angliea. 



S. Hooker! (Hooker's).* a. 2in. to 2*in. in diameter, solitary in 

 the axils, or sometimes obscurely cymose ; calyx lin. long ; petals 

 pale pink, 2in. long, the lobes very variable, narrow or broad, 

 equal, or the outer ones smaller or reduced to teeth, the two 

 parallel white ridges on the claw terminating in white teeth at 

 the blade. May. I. 2in. to 3in. long ; lower ones elliptic-spathu- 

 late, narrowed into long petioles ; the rest elliptic-lanceolate, 

 acute or acuminate; all pubescent Stems many, decumbent 

 California, 1873. Perennial. (B. M. 6051 ; F. d. S. 2093.) 



S. inflata (s\ ollenX Bladder Campion or Catchfly ; Cow Bell ; 

 White Ben. fl. white, Jin. in diameter, drooping ; petals deeply 

 cloven : panicle many-flowered. June to August fr., cap- 

 sule globose. /. lin. to Sin. long, variable, ovate, obovate, or 

 oblong. A. 2ft to 3ft Europe (Britain), &c. A branched, 

 glaucous, glabrous, or downy perennial. This species may be 

 used as a substitute for asparagus or green peas, the young 

 shoots having the flavour of both. (Sy. En. B. 199.) puberula 

 is a rarer form, with downy leaves. 



; calyx much inflated; petals 

 -parted. May to August i. 

 long footstalks. Caucasus, 1818. 

 A procumbent, hispid biennial. (B. M. 2255.) 



S. laciniata (jagged-petaled). fl. crimson, with a white, two- 

 parteil crest, very large, terminal, rather drooping ; calyx cylin- 

 drically ventricose ; petals somewhat four-cleft ; peduncles one- 

 flowered. June and July. L large, lanceolate, acute. Stem 

 erect, branched. A. 3ft to 4ft Mexico and California, 1823. 

 A half-hardy, pubescent perennial. (B. E. 1444 ; P. M. B. 267.) 



S. livida (livid), fl. livid-green on the under surface, white 

 above, panicled, drooping to one side ; petals two-cleft, crowned. 

 June and July. 1. oblong-lanceolate. Stem flexuous, infracted. 

 A. 1ft. Carniola, 1816. A pubescent perennial. 



S. maritixna (maritime).* fl. white ; petals shortly cleft, the 



. lacera (torn-petaled). A. white ; 

 jagged, with the appendages two-p 

 ovate-lanceolate, undulated, on long 



segments broad, with two scales at the base. June to August 

 Europe (Britain). A diffuse perennial. Otherwise resembling 

 S. inflata. (Sy. En. B. 200.) flore-pleno is a garden form, with 



lowers. 



lora (night-flowering), j 



;; petals rosy within, yelloi 

 I Sin. to 4ln. long, oblon 



inflata. (Sy. 

 double flowers. 



/. erect, few ; calyx narrow, 



lin. long ; petals rosy within, yellow outside, two-cleft July and 

 August 1. 3in. to 4m. long, oblong-lanceolate, acute, the lower 

 ones petioled. A. If t to 2ft Europe (Britain), Ac. An erect 

 simple or dichotomous, softly pubescent annual, viscid above. 

 The flowers open at night and are very fragrant. (Sy. En. B. 

 209.) 



S. nntans (nodding). Nottingham Catchfly. fl. white or pink, 

 in panicled or sub-racemose cymes, drooping, fragrant at night ; 

 calyx purple-nerved, with acute teeth; petals two-parted, the 

 segments diverging. May to July. I, radical ones oblong- 

 lanceolate, 2in. to 5in. long, tufted, petioled : cauline ones small, 

 narrow, sessile. Stem viscid above. A. 2ft. to 3ft Europe 

 (Britain), Ac. A pubescent perennial, with a woody rootstock. 

 (Sy. En. B. 207.) SYX. S. paradoxa. 



S. ornata (ornamented), rf. dark purple, panicled ; calyx cylin- 

 drical, with alternate stripes and veins ; petals two-parted, with 

 broad, crowned lobes. May to September. L lanceolate, rather 

 blunt. Stems erect, branched. A. 2ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1775. 

 A pubescent, greenhouse biennial. (B. M. 382.) 



S. paradoxa (paradoxical). A synonym of S. mutant. 



S. pendnla (pendulous-flowered).* . /. fteh-coloured, axillary, 

 ' i; calyx inflated; petals bifid, crowned. May to 



Silene continued. 



August I ovate-lanceolate. Italy, Ac., 173L A pubescent 

 branched, trailing annual. (B. M. Ill) 



S. p. compacta (compact).* A very dwarf, compact variety, 

 forming dense cushions, 2in. to Sin. high and 9in to 12in in 

 diameter, entirely covered with bright pink flowers. this 

 ming plant, extensively used For spring bedding. 



S. Pennsylvania* (Pennsylvanian).* American Wild Pink. 

 fl. pink, clustered, short-stalked; calyx club-shaped; petals 

 cuneiform, slightly notched and erose. April to June I., radical 

 ones narrowly spathulate, nearly glabrous, tapering into hairy 

 petioles ; cauline ones two or three pairs, lanceolate. Stems 4in. 

 to Sin. high. North America, 1806. A pubescent perennial. 

 (B. R. 247 ; I* B. C. 41.) . 



pink, loosely panicled; calyx clavate, 

 reticulated with red nerves and veins. 

 June to August L, lower ones obovate-spathulate ; upper ones 

 linear, acute. Stems much-branched, scarcely pubescent A, 1ft 

 to 2ft Asia Minor and Syria, 1817. A beautiful, Rush like 

 annual. (S. B. F. G. 92.) 



S. qninqnevnlnera (five-spotted). A variety of S. angliea. 



S. regia. Royal Catchfly. fl, deep scarlet numerous, short- 

 stalked, in clusters, forming a strict panicle ; petals spathulate- 

 lanceolate, mostly undivided. July. L rather thick, ovate- 

 lanceolate, acute. Stem roughish, erect 3ft to 4ft high. 

 Southern United States, 181L A pubescent perennial. (B. M. 

 1724 ; S. B. F. G. ser. iL 313.) 



S. Saxifraga (Saxifrage).* fl. terminal, solitary, rarely axillary ; 

 calyx clavate ; petals yellowish on the upper surface, reddish- 

 brown beneath ; peduncles very long. June to August L linear, 

 acute. A. 3in. to 6in. South Europe, Ac., 1640. A smooth, rather 

 viscid, tufted perennial. (L. B. C. 454.) 



S. Schafta (Schafta).* fl. purple, erect ; calyx more than lin. long, 

 clavate ; petals cuueate, denticulate ; peduncles bearing one or 

 two flowers. June to October. L obovate, acute. Stems many, 

 very simple, ascending; root woody. A. not more than 6in. 

 Persia, 1844. A beautiful little perennial ; the branches gradu- 

 ally become covered with blossoms. (B. R. 1846, 20; J. H. S. 

 L 69.) 



S. speciosa (showy), fl. scarlet, axillary or terminal, paniculate ; 

 calyx elongated-tubular, villous ; petals five, oblong, spreading, 

 four-parted, the middle segments much longer, the lateral ones 

 reduced to teeth. June. I. opposite, sessile, lanceolate, somewhat 

 obtuse. A. 1ft 1843. A villous, greenhouse perennial ; probably 

 a hybrid. (F. d. S. iL 8 ; P. M. B. x. 219.) 



& supina (supine), fl. white, on short, alternate pedicels ; calyx 



. long, cylindrical!}" clavate, tomentose ; petals with long claws, 

 bifid, crowned. June to August I. linear, acute. Stems woody, 

 procumbent branched. Caucasus, 1804. A tufted, clammy- 

 pubescent perenniaL (B. M. 1997.) 



S. vespertina (evening), fl. rose-coloured, in secund racemes ; 

 calyx bladdery-clavate : petals two-parted, the lobes obtuse. 

 June and July. I. spathulate, acute, on ciliated petioles. Stems 

 branched, diffuse or decumbent A. 1ft. Greece, Ac., 17%. A 

 beautiful, pubescent annuaL (B. M. 677; & B. F. G. 58; 

 S. F. G. 409.) 



S. virginlca (Virginian).* Fire Pink. fl. deep crimson, few, and 

 loosely cymose, peduncled; calyx oblong-cylindrical, soon ob- 



conical; petals oblong, two-cleft June to 

 spathnlate, or the upper ones oblong-lanceolate. 



L thin, 

 slender. 



1ft to 2ft high. North America, 1783. A pubescent perennial. 

 (B. M. 3342 ; R, G. 1116.) 



SILENOFSIS. Included under Lychnis. 



SILICA. A very abundant mineral in the soil, both 

 in the pure state, and in combination with various ele- 

 ments forming Silicates. Pure Silica is made up of 

 the two elements Silicon, or Silicium, and Oxygen, in the 

 proportion of twenty-eight parts, by weight, of the former 

 to thirty-two of the latter. It occurs in several condi- 

 tions, of which the most frequent are quartz and flint, 

 and the less common rock-crystal and calcedony. Ame- 

 thyst and cornelian are forms of Silica, tinged red with 

 iron oxides. Silica, in the form of quartz, is the chief 

 ingredient of all sands and sandstones, as well as of 

 granites and other minerals of the same general structure ; 

 and veins or masses of pure quartz of considerable size 

 also exist. But almost more plentiful than Silica are 

 the Silicates, chiefly of Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, and 

 Magnesium. These are familiar to everyone as clay, mica, 

 felspar, and other substances that make up the mass of 

 most soils. 



Silica is not soluble in pure water; but a little Car- 

 bonic Acid gas, dissolved in the water, permits of a little 

 Silica being dissolved; and almost all water that gains 



3K 



