S I L 



S I I. 



They are somctinies raised from slit-lavers 

 and cuttings in the snmnier season; but they arc 

 tedious in terming roots in this way, and the 

 plants are not so good. 



The first \.i tender, aTording variety in ih.e 

 stove ; but the last is more hardy, and may 

 sometimes be introduced in the shrubbery borders 

 in warm slititered situations. 



SILENE, a genus containing plants of the 

 hardy herbaceous, of the anauial and perennial 

 k;nd. 



It belongs to the class and order Decandria 

 Trigi/nia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Carij'jphijUei. 



Tlie characters are : that the calvx is a one- 

 leafed perianth, ventricose, five-toothed, per- 

 manent : the corolla has five petals; claws nar- 

 row, length of the calyx, margined : border flat, 

 /ibtnsc, often bifid : nectary composed of two 

 toothitts in the neck of each petal, forming a 

 crown at the throat : the stamina have ten awl- 

 shaped filaments, alternatcl}' inserted into the 

 claws of the petals, and later than the other 

 five: anthers oblor.g : the pistilhim is a cylin- 

 drical germ : styles three, simple, longer than 

 the stamens: stigmas bent contrary to the sun's 

 apparent motion : the pericarpium is a cylindri- 

 cal capsule, covered, die- or three-celled, opening 

 at top into five or si.x parts : the seeds very 

 many, kidney-form. 



The species cultivated are: 1. S. armeria. 

 Common or Lobel's Catchfiy ; 2. S. qunique- 

 vitlnera, Variegated Catchfly ; 3. S. penduta, 

 Pendulous Catchfly ; 4. S. musc'tpula, Spanish 

 Catchfly ; 5. S. virid/JIora, Green-flowered 

 Catchflv; 6. S. mila7i<!, Nottingham Catchfly; 

 7. S.fruticosa, Shrubby Catchfly. 



The first is an annual plant with erect stalks, 

 a foot and half high, for more than an inch be- 

 low each joint very glutinous : the lower leaves 

 broad, oblong, smootii, sessile : the flowers in 

 terminating bunches, standing erect, and form- 

 ing a kind of umbel. It is a native of Denmark, 

 »Sj,c. flowering in July and August. 



There are varieties with a bright purple 

 flower, with a pale red, and with a white flower. 



In the second, from a small fibrous annual 

 root arise several flaccid spreading; stems, round, 

 hairy, and a little viscid ; as are also the leaves 

 JQ a slight degree : numerous flowers spring in 

 an alternate order from the bosoms of the upper 

 leaves, on pedicels which are erect, or but little 

 divaricated even when the fruit i^ripe: the pe- 

 tals are remarkable for the deep red spot in their 

 centre, like a drop of blood. It is a native of 

 the South of Europe. 



The third is an annual plant, from whose 

 root come out several branching stalks, near a 



foot an-.l h.df long, which trail upon the grouud, 

 oppojite : the leaves oval, acute-poinled : the 

 flowers come out singly fn;m the axils, upon 

 short peduncles ; they are large, and of a bright 

 red colour, resembling those of the common 

 Wild Red Campion. It is a native of Sivily and 

 Crete or Candia, flowering in May and June. 



Tb.e fourth species iias a biennial root : the 

 stalk round, clammy, a foot and half his;h, 

 having swelling joints: the leaves narrow and 

 smooth, growing round the stalk in clusters: 

 the upper part of the stalk divides into spread- 

 ing branches bv pairs, and has red flowers 

 coming out sln<rly from the axils, and sessile : 

 the plant is extremely viscid. It is a native of 

 the South of France, See. 



The fifth ha? a biennial root: the lower leaves 

 roundish and hollowed like a spoon : those up- 

 on the stalks obtuse, and standing by pairs, 

 threes or fours round the stalks ; they are deep 

 green, smooth and sessile : the stalks round, 

 smooth, from two to three feet high : the 

 flowers in loose c-pikes at the top, of a greea 

 colour. It is a native of Spain, &c. flowering 

 in June and Ju!v. 



The sixth species has a somewhat woody per- 

 ennial root : the stems several, simple, (ac- 

 cording to Mr. Woodward frequently branched 

 from the root,) a foot or more in height, erect, 

 leafy, round, pubescent, jointed at the base, 

 viscid in the upper part, terminating in a forked 

 panicle, the summit and branches of v\hich 

 all droop towards one side : the leaves lan- 

 ceolate acute, quite entire, pubescent on both 

 sides, of a palish green ; the radical ones 

 inclining to obovatc, and forming thick tufts: 

 the flowers drooping, white, of a delicate tex- 

 ture. It is a native of several parts of Europe, 

 flowering in June and July. 



The seventh has the stem low, shrubby, di- 

 viding into several short branches : the leaves 

 smooth, ending in acute points : the flower- 

 stalks rise about a foot high, and divide into 

 s()reading panicles, sustaining two and three 

 flowers, of an herbaceous white colour. It is 

 a native of Sicily, flowering in June and July. 



Culture. — ^The annual and biennial sorts may 

 be raised by seeds, which should be sown in the 

 spring or autumn seasons, where the plants are 

 to grow ; but the latter is the better time. Some 

 sow at both seasons, which mav be a good prac- 

 tice. The seed should be put in in patches in 

 the borders, clumps, &c. : when the plants are 

 up they should be thinned to two or thre« 

 plants in each clump, and be kept clean from 

 weeds. With the biennial sorts it is sometimes 

 the practice to sow them in beds, and when 'the 

 plants are up to remove them into nursery-rows 



