Plants of the Punjab. 



143 



Herbs, Erect, with Opposite Exstipulate Simple Leaves. 



Leaf Margins Entire. 

 Petals ununited. 



Saponaria Vaccaria, 



Mus)ia. 



Caryophyllace^. 

 F. B.I. i. 217. 

 The Plains to 

 10,000 ft. 

 Simla in cornfields 

 (Collett). 

 Murree (Douie). 

 Hazara(Barrett) . 

 Baluchistan (Lace). 



medium size, annual, smooth, a weed of cultiva- 

 tion, robust, branches none or only a few ; leaves 1-3 

 by |-f in., radical leaves oblong, short-pointed, stem leaves 

 sessile, base rounded or heart-shaped, linear-oblong ; 

 flowers pink, in terminal many-flowered forked clusters, 

 calyx I in. long, cylindric, ovoid in fruit, 5-toothed, with 

 5 broad, green nerves, petals 5, stalked, short, irregularly 

 toothed, broad at the tip, stamens 10, styles 2 ; capsule 

 included in the calyx, broadly ovoid, opening at the top 

 by 5 teeth, seeds many, round, large, black. This plant 

 is used as a substitute for soap. This plant is found very 

 rarely in cornfields in the south of England, but commonly 

 seen on the continent of Europe. 



Silene conoidea, 



Caryophyllace^. 



F.B.Li. 218. 



The Plains to 



8,000 ft. 



Simla in cornfields 



(Collett). 



Gujrat District. 



Sargodha (Douie). 



Hazara (Barrett). 



Rawalpindi. 



Baluchistan (Lace). 



medium size, annual, sticky from velvety glands, 

 branches forking ; leaves 2-4 in. long, radical leaves broad 

 at the tip narrowing to the stalk, stem leaves oblong or 

 lanceolate, sometimes very narrow, sessile, short-pointed ; 

 flowers pink, few, erect in terminal branching racemes, 

 calyx 1 in. long, base thrust-in., 5-toothed, teeth long, 

 sharp-pointed, ^rd the length of the calyx, swollen out in 

 fruit, petals 5, broad at the tip, small, margin even or 

 toothed, stalk has an ear-like projection, 2 scales, stamens 

 10, 6 joined to the petals, styles 3, ovary stalked ; capsule 

 ovoid, shining, pointed, hard, enclosed in the inflated 

 calyx, seeds many, shaped hke a spiral shell with 6 dorsal 

 and 5 lateral rows of tubercles. 



Silene Moorcroftiana, 



Caryophyllace^. 

 F.B.Li. 219. 

 Himalaya, 

 10-13,000 ft. 



medium size, perennial, stems many, stock woody, 

 densely tufted, flowering branches erect, slender, dividing 

 or not at the top, velvety ; leaves radical, broad at the tip, 

 narrowing to the base, stem leaves shorter, linear, long- 

 or short- pointed or blunt ; flowers white or reddish 

 in terminal or nearly terminal clusters of 1 to 3 flowers, 

 calyx 1-1 1 in. long, tubular, sticky, base projecting 

 inwards, slender below the middle, nerves 10, dark, teeth 

 short, blunt, with thin papery margins, petals divided into 2, 

 the segments strap-shaped, protruding from the calyx, 

 stalk with a long tooth on both sides, also 2 long scales 

 stamens 10, 5 joined to the petals, styles 3 on a stalk long 

 er than the capsule ; capsule ovoid, seeds flattened, not 

 grooved, with 5 rows of lateral and dorsal tubercles. 



