54 CARYOPHYLLEM. [Diantiifs. 



Flower 1 in. diam., fragrant. Petals contiguous, obovate, rosy, teeth |-£ 

 the length of the blade. Calyx-tube faintly-ribbed. — Distrib. Belgium 

 southd. to Lombardy and Hungary. 



D. Caryophyi/lus, L. ; leaves grooved above, margins smooth, cymes 

 loosely panicled, bracts obovate mucronate 3-4 times shorter than the 

 calyx-tube, petals toothed and crenate. Wild Carnation, Clove Pink. 

 Old castle walls, &c, naturalized ; fl. July-Aug. — Perennial, glabrous, glau- 

 cous, stout, much branched and leafy below, 18-24 in. Leaves 4-6 in., 

 recurved. Bracts membranous, tips herbaceous. Flower 1§ in. diam., 

 fragrant. Calyx cylindric, faintly ribbed. Petals obovate, rosy, teeth |-| 

 the length of the blade. Capsule ovoid.— Distrib. Belgium and France to 

 Italy, Hungary, and Greece.— Flowers dimorphic on the same individual ; 

 stamens in one form much longer than in the other. The origin of the 

 garden carnation. 



D. pluma'rius, L. ; leaves all acute 1 -nerved, margins scabrous, cymes 

 loosely panicled, bracts 4 rhomboid cuspidate equalling \ of the calyx- 

 tube, petals fimbriate. Wild Pink. 



Naturalized on old walls in England and Wales ; fl. June-Aug. — Perennial, 

 tufted, branched, 1 ft. Flowers as in D. Caryophyllus, but smaller, rose- 

 purple, segments of petals ^-§ as long as the blade. — Distrib. Mid. 

 Europe from Austria to Lombardy, and Mid. Russia. — The origin of the 

 garden pinks. 



1*. SAPONA'RIA, L. Soapwort, Fuller's Herb. 



Annual or perennial herbs. Radical leaves spathulate, cauline narrower. 

 Flowers in panicled or fascicled cymes, white, lilac, red or yellow, honeyed, 

 proterandrous. Calyx tubular, 5-toothed, obscurely nerved, ebracteate. 

 Petals 5, clawed, entire or notched. Stamens 10. Disk small. Styles 2. 

 Capsule oblong, 2-celled at the base, 4- valved at the top. Seeds reniform , 

 tubercled, hilum marginal; embryo annular.— Distrib. Europe and 

 temp. Asia ; species 30. — Etym. Sapo, the plant having been used as a 

 soap. 



S. officinalis, L. ; glabrous, glaucous, leaves oblong-lanceolate. 

 Hedges, roadsides, and fields, naturalized before Gerard's time ; (a denizen, 

 Wats.) ; fl. Aug.-Sept. — Rootstock white, creeping, fleshy, stoloniferous. 

 Stem 1-3 ft., straight, ascending. Leaves 2-4 in., 3-ribbed. Cymes in panicled 

 corymbs. Flowers 1 in. diam. Petals obcordate, lilac or white. Capsule 

 ovoid, on a stout pedicel, enclosed in the fusiform calyx -tube.— Distrib. 

 Europe, "W. Asia ; introd. in U. States. — A decoction is very saponaceous. 

 Flowers often double. — S. hyb'rida, L., is a vox. with connate upper leaves 

 and monopetalous corolla. — YAJt: pubet'ula, Syme, is another with the upper 

 part of the stem and calyx pubescent. Near Hightown, Lancashire. 



2. SILENH, L. CATCHFLY. 



Habit of Saponaria. Calyx inflated, 5-toothe<l, 10-nerved. Petals 5 ; 

 claw narrow ; blade entire or divided, with usually 2 scales at its base. 



