64 



L YC 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



L YC 



leaves of a brownish green colour ; flowers terminating, in 

 large flat-topped tufts, consisting of several bundles ; corolla 

 of a scarlet or bright red orange colour, varying to white, blush, 

 and variable, that is, pale red, growing paler till it becomes 

 almost white. Native of Russia and Japan. There are three 

 varieties : that with double flowers is a valuable plant. The 

 root has two, three, or four strong erect hairy stalks, gar- 

 nished the whole length with spear-shaped leaves sitting 

 close to them. The flowers, which are of a most beautiful 

 scarlet colour, are produced in close clusters sitting at the 

 top of the stalk; and when the roots are strong, the clusters 

 of flowers will be very large, and make a fine appearance. 

 They appear at the latter end of June, and in moderate 

 seasons continue nearly a month in beauty. The stalks 

 decay in autumn, and new ones rise in the spring. The sin- 

 gle Lychnis are easily propagated by seeds, sown on a border 

 exposed to the east, in the middle of March. They will 

 appear in April, when, if the season be dry, they should be 

 refreshed with water two or three times a week. By the 

 beginning of June the plants will be fit to remove, when there 

 should be a bed of common earth prepared to receive them ; 

 into which they should be planted at about four inches apart, 

 observing to water and shnde them till they have taken new 

 root; after which they will only require to be weeded until 

 the following autumn, when they should be transplanted into 

 the borders of the pleasure-garden, where they are to con- 

 tinue. The summer following, these plants will flower, and 

 produce ripe seeds; but the roots will abide several years, 

 and continue to flower. It may also be propagated by offsets ; 

 but as the seeds ripen freely, few persons trouble themselves 

 to propagate the plants any other way. The double-flowered 

 variety is propagated by slips taken from the roots in autumn; 

 but as this is a slow method of increasing the plants, the best 

 way to have them in plenty, is to cut off the flower-stalks in 

 June before the flowers appear. These may be cut into small 

 lengths of three or four joints each, which should be planted 

 on an east border of soft loamy earth, putting three of the 

 joints into the ground, leaving one eye just level with the 

 surface; these must be watered, and then covered close with 

 bell or hand glasses, excluding the outward air, and shaded 

 with mats when the sun shines hot upon them. The cuttings 

 so managed will put out roots in five or six weeks, when they 

 must be exposed to the open air, and in very dry weather 

 should be now and then refreshed with water, but it must not 

 be repeated too often, nor given in large quantities, for too 

 much moisture will cause them to rot. These roots will make 

 good plants by the following autumn, when they may be trans- 

 planted into the borders of the pleasure-garden, and will 

 flower there in the next summer. 



2. Lychnis Flos Cuculi ; Red-flowered Meadow Lychnis. 

 Petals quadrifid ; fruit roundish, one-celled. Root perennial, 

 brownish white, subacrid ; stems from one to three feet high, 

 somewhat angular and grooved, swelled at the joints, pur- 

 plish ; corolla pink or purplish red, varying sometimes to 

 white. It flowers in May and June. Native of most parts 



,uf Europe in moist meadows. This plant has a variety of 

 names in English, as Meadow Pink, Wild Williams, Cuckow- 

 flower, Ragged Robin, Crow-flower. A variety with double 

 flowers is frequently cultivated in flower-gardens for orna- 

 ment. It only differs from the single in the multiplicity of 

 the petals, and is commonly known by the title of Double 

 Ragged Robin. Found sometimes wild in England, as, near 

 Bungay in Suffolk. This plant is increased by slipping the 

 roots in September. 



3. Lychnis Alpestris. Petals four-cleft, crowned : leaves 

 recurved. Root perennial ; stems a span high, upright, smooth; 



flowers white, in a dichotomous panicle. Native of Switzer- 

 land and Austria. 



4. Lychnis Quadridentata; Four-toothed Lychnis. PetftJs 

 four-toothed ; stem dichotomous ; leaves smooth, recurved. 

 Steins a span high. Native of Austria. 



5. Lychnis Coronata; Chinese Lychnis. Smooth: flower* 

 axi'llary and terminating, solitary ; petals laciniated. Stem 

 simple, round, upright, a foot high. It flowers in June and 

 July. Native of China and Japan. 



6'. Lychnis Viscaria; Viscous Lychnis, or Catchfly. Petals 

 nearly equal. Root perennial, yellowish on the outside, white 

 within ; stem round, not grooved ; flowers terminating, in 

 close whorls, all together forming a spike. It is called Nar- 

 row-leaved Catchfly, or Limewort, Red German Catchfly, 

 Catchfl.y Cuckow flower, and Viscous Lychnis. It is scarce 

 in Great Britain, but has been found in Wales ; upon the 

 rocks in Edinburgh Park ; and near Croydon, in Surry. It 

 flowers in May and June. This plant has the name of 

 Catchfly, from exuding a glutinous liquor, almost as clammy 

 as birdlime ; so that any insect attempting to creep up to 

 the flowers, is fastened to the stalk. Native of most parts 

 of Europe, in dry and mountainous pastures, especially among 

 bushes. This plant is propagated by parting the roots in 

 autumn, at which time every slip will grow ; or if the seeds 

 be sown in the same manner as is directed for the first sort, 

 the single flowers may be produced in plenty : the double 

 flowers, however, have almost excluded them from our 

 gardens. These never produce seeds, and can only be pro- 

 pagated by parting and slipping the roots ; the best time for 

 which is autumn, when every slip will grow. If this be per- 

 formed in September, the slips will have taken good root 

 before the frost, and will flower well the following summer; 

 but if they are expected to flower strong, the roots must not 

 be divided into small slips, though for multiplying the plants 

 it matters not how small the slips are. They should be 

 planted on a border exposed to the morning sun, and shaded 

 when the sun is warm till they have taken root. If the 

 slips are planted in the beginning of September, they will be 

 rooted strong enough to plant in the borders of the flower- 

 garden by the middle or latter end of October. The roots 

 of this multiply so fast, as to make it necessary to transplant 

 and part them every year ; for when they are let remain 

 longer they are very apt to rot. 



7. Lychnis Alpina ; Alpine Lychnis. Petals bifid ; flowers 

 four-styled. Root perennial; petals purple ; anthers red. 

 Native of the Alps in Europe, and Siberia. It flowers in 

 May. This, and the ninth species, are propagated by seeds, 

 and also by parting the roots. The roots may be parted, 

 and the plants removed, in autumn. The seeds may be 

 sown upon a shady border in March, keeping the ground 

 moist in dry weather. When the plants are of a size to 

 remove, transplant them into a shady border, where they 

 may remain to flower. 



8. Lychnis Laeta; Small Portugal Lychnis, or Campion. 

 Petals bifid; flowers solitary; leaves linear-lanceolate, smooth ; 

 caliccs ten-keeled. -Annual, and a native of Portugal. This 

 is increased by slips, in the same manner as above, but com- 

 ing from a warm country, it is impatient of cold, and will 

 not live through the winter in an open border, nor does it 

 thrive well in a pot. It succeeds best when planted close to 

 a south wall in dry undunged earth, or brick-rubbish; for 

 in rich or moist ground the root presently rots, as they also 

 do when they are watered. 



9. Lychnis Sibirica ; Siberian Lychnis. Petals bifid ; stem 

 dichotomous ; leaves somewhat rough-haired. Root perennial ; 

 petals white. Native of Siberia. See the seventh species. _ 



