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. Sow the first of May. 



SILENE— Catch-Fly. 



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

 covers Ihe stems of many species.] 



Sil^ne 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. Armeria. — 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, j^roducing 

 umbels of pink, and a variety with white flowers. 8ilene 

 compacta^ S. pendula^ S. /Schafta, S. Saxifraga are also 

 handsome annual border flowers. Having the plants of 



