58 CARYOPHYLLE^J. [Lychnis. 



Fields, hedgerows, &c, to Orkneys ; Ireland ; Channel Islands ; fl. June-Sept. 

 — Yery similar to L. diur'tia. Flowers rarely reddish, open and fragrant in 

 the evening — Distjkib. Europe, N. Africa, Siberia, W. Asia; introd. in 

 U. States. 



4. GITHA'GO, Desfontaines. Corn-cockle. 



Characters of Lychnis, but calyx coriaceous with foliaceous teeth, and 

 entire petals without scales at the base of the blade. Flowers honeyed, 

 proterandrous. Styles and carpels opposite the petals. — Distrib. Europe, 

 Siberia, "W. Asia to Persia ; introd. in U. States, species 1. — Etym. 

 obscure. 



G. seg'etum, Desf. ; flowers solitary, calyx woolly segments much 

 longer than the petals. Agrostem'ma Githa'go, L. 

 Cornfields N. to the Orkneys ; Ireland ; Channel Islands ; (a colonist, Wats.) ; 



fl. June-Aug. — Annual ; clothed with dense white hairs. Stems 1-2 ft. 



Leaves 2-5 in., linear-lanceolate. Flowers l|-2 in. diam. ; pedicels long. 



Calyx 1-1 § in., cylindric-ovoid, ribs strong. Fetals pale purple, limb obo- 



vate. Capsule ovoid. — Cosson regards this as a quasi-cultivated form, of 



which the type is the Anatolian A. gra'cilis, Boiss. 



5. HOLOS'TEUM, L. 



Annual herbs, viscid and glandular. Leaves narrow. Flowers in ter- 

 minal umbel-like cymes. Sepals 5. Petals 5, toothed or notched. Sta- 

 mens 3-5, rarely 10. Ovary 1-celled ; styles 3, rarely 4 or 5 ; ovules 

 many. Capsule" subcylindric, with twice as many short terminal valves 

 as there are styles. Seeds peltate, concavo-convex, rough ; embryo 

 horseshoe-shaped. — Distrib. Europe, W, Asia; species 3. — Etym. 

 doubtful. 



H. umbella'tum, L. ; lower leaves petioled elliptic-oblong. 

 Old walls and thatched roofs, very rare, Norwich, Eye, and Bury ; (a denizen 

 or native ? Wats.); fl. April-May. — Stem 4-8 in., very slender, branched at 

 the base. Radical leaves §-1 in. ; cauliue very few, sessile, ovate or linear. 

 Flowers few, erect ; pedicels § in., deflexed after flowering, erect after fruit- 

 ing; bracts small, membranous. Sepals white, edges scarious, obtuse. Fetals 

 | in., a little longer than the sepals, white or pale pink. Stamens and styles 

 often 3 each. Capsule twice as long as the sepals. Seeds black. — Distkib. 

 Europe, N. Africa, W. Asia to JST.W. India. 



6. CERAS'TIUM, L. MOUSE-EAR CHICKWEED. 



Pubescent rarely glabrous herbs, the hairs articulate, some glandular, 

 others not. Leaves small. Flowers white, in terminal dichotomous cymes, 

 proterandrous. Sepals 5, rarely 4. Petals as many, rarely 0, notched 

 or 2-fid, rarely quite entire or deeply cut. Disk of 5 honeyed glands. 

 Stamens 10, 5, or fewer. Ovary 1-celled; styles usually 3, when 5, 

 opposite the sepals ; ovules many. Capsules cylindric, often incurved, 

 with twice as many short terminal valves as styles. Seeds compressed, 



