L Y C 



L Y C 



supply of wood may be requisite ; in which 

 case it may be retained, and shortened as conve- 

 nient, to force out a supply of more shoots la- 

 terally to fill the vacancy. 



When it prevails in other trees and shrubs 

 than those of the fruit kind, they should have 

 occasional attention, pruning them in regular 

 order in their younger advancing growth, or 

 afterwards occasionally in particular sorts, as 

 niavbe necessary ; observing, in either, when any 

 straiigling shoots, Sec. assume a very luxuriant 

 rambling growth, greatly exceeding the other 

 general branches, that they be more or less 

 reduced, or cut entirely awav close to their ori- 

 gin, as may be most expedient, according to the 

 nature of growth of the trees or shrubs, euherin 

 summer or winter, &c. 



Most double flowers may be considered as 

 luxuriant, especially such as have the cup or 

 corolla multiplied, or so augmented in the num- 

 ber of their leaves, or flower-petals, inward, as 

 to exclude some part of the fructification, as 

 the same thing occurs in flowers as in esculent 

 plants and fruit-trees, from their over luxuriant 

 growth ; for, as the flosver is designed for per- 

 fecting the fruit and seed, when the petals are 

 nuiltiplied to the diminution of th^ stamina, 

 ^c. no impregnation ensues, and of course no 

 fruit or seed is produced. 



In the double varieties of most kinds of flow- 

 ers produced on ornamental flowering plants, 

 this luxuriance is generallv considered as a su- 

 perior degree of perfection ; and has different 

 nioditications. 



The highest degree of this sort of luxuriance 

 is met with in carnations, anemones, ranuncu- 

 luses, the poppy, lychnis, peony, narcissus, vio- 

 let, and some others. 



LYCHNIS, a genus containing plants of the 

 hardy, herbaceous, flowerv, jjerennial kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Decandria 

 Pentani/nia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Cart/uphi/Uei. 



Hie characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 Jeafed perianthium, oblong, membranaceous, 

 live- toothed, permanent: the corolla has fi\'e 

 petals : claws the length of the calyx, flat, n.ar- 

 gincd : border often cloven, flat: the stamina 

 liave ten filaments, longer than the calyx, alter- 

 nately shorter, each of these fixed to a claw of 

 each petal: anthers incnnibent : the pistillum is 

 a subovate germ : styles five, awl-shaped, 

 longer than the stamens: stigmas reflex against 

 the sun, pubescent : the pericarp! uin is a cap- 

 sule approaching to an ovate form, covered, 

 one-, three-, or five-celled, five-valved : the 

 seeds verv man\', and roundish. 



The species cultivated are : 1 . L. fhalcedonica , 

 Scarlet Lychnis ; 2. L. F/os cucidi, Rcd-ilower- 



ed Lychnis, Meadow Pink, or Ragged Robin; 

 3. L, cornnata, Chinese Lychnis; 4. L. viscaria, 

 Viscous Lichnis, or Catchfly ; 5. L. diurna, 

 Rose-flowered Lychnis, Wild Red Campion, or 

 Red Bachelor's Buttons; 6. L. i'espeiti?ia,Wh\te- 

 flowered Lychnis, Wild White Campion, or 

 White Bachelor's Buttons. 



The first has a perennial root: the stems three 

 feet high, upright, stift', round, jointed, hairy: 

 at every joint are two large leaves of a brownish 

 green colour : the flowers terminating in a large 

 flat-topped tuft, consisting of several bundles : 

 the corolla is of a scarlet or bright red orange 

 colour, varying to white, blush, and variable, 

 that is, pale red, growing paler till it be- 

 comes almost white. It is a native of Russia, 

 &c. 



Besides its varying as above, there is a variety 

 with very double flowers of a beautiful scarlet 

 colour : it has a perennial root, from which arise 

 two, three, or four stalks, according to the 

 strength of the roots, which in rich moist land 

 grow upw ards of four feet high ; the stalks are 

 strong, erect, and hairy, being garnished the 

 whole length with spear-shaped leaves sitting 

 close to the stalks, placed opposite; and just 

 above each pair of leaves there are four smaller 

 leaves standing round the stalk : the flowers are 

 produced in close clusters sitting upon the top 

 of the stalk : when the roots are strong, the 

 clusters of flowers arc very large, and make a 

 fine appearance, coming out the latter end of 

 June, and in moderate seasons continue near a 

 month in beauty. The stalks decay in autumn, 

 and new ones arise in the spring following. 



The second has also a perennial root, brownish 

 white, subacrid : the stems from one to three 

 feet high, upright, somewhat angular and proov- 

 cd, swelled at thejoints, purplish : they are pro- 

 cumbent, and become upright at the time of 

 flowering: the stem-leaves opposite, connate, 

 lanceolate, keeled, upright, smooth: the pe- 

 duncles opposite, witli one generally between 

 them : the calyx ten-angled, of a deep purple 

 colour: the corolla pink or purplish red, vary- 

 ing sometimes to white: the border of the petals 

 dividing into four segments, of w hich the two 

 outer are shorter and narrower : the claws have 

 two small spear-shaped teeth at the top: the 

 capsule one-celled, the mouth having fixe teeth 

 which turn back : the seeds flattisli, RiEfoed, of 

 a brow n ash-colour. It is a native of nuist parts 

 of Europe, flowering in May and June. 



In the third the w hole plant is smooth : the 

 stem simple, round, upright, a foot hio-h : the 

 leaves opposite, embracing, obhjiig-ovatc, acute, 

 entire, an inch or a little more m lem'th : the 

 flowers aggregate, about three, sessile : the ca- 

 lyx is tcii-angled : the jietals arc gashed, ere- 



