1668 



SILENE 



and generally have araall tooth-like appendages at the 

 base of the blade. The calyx is si.niHtinies inHated like 

 a bladder, generally lO-m-rviil. M.ii].-in]ii--i 20-nerved: 

 ovary 1-loeuled, many-ovuhil : -tyl.^ ncmly a: cap- 

 sule dehiscing at the apix ihim i. irar.ly lii teeth or 

 short valves. There is a full l...t:iiii.-:.[ Tii.iuograph of 

 Silene, with a key, in the Journal of the Linnean So- 

 ciety, vol. 32 (189C), by P. N. Williams, a specialist on 

 the whole family of Caryophyllaceae. The account is 

 mostly in T,atiii, and lias frw di-s.-riptions. ■\Villianis 



at the base. Only u few uf the known species are in 

 cultivation. 



Silenes are of easy culture. They mostly bloom in 

 summer, and a few continue well into autumn. By good 

 management the season of bloom may be continued 

 through spring and summer. Toward this end the seeds 

 of the common annual kinds should be sown in early 

 autumn, insti^ail of sjiring. As a rule, the common 

 kinds pn I', r :. :hi.I\ I. .am and full sunlight, but the 

 rock-gar.li ' i i I i ; m.' special treatment, and other 

 suggesliMii It I. Ill are given after the specific 



descripli.il, li ; iK.pular kinds are the pink and 



Of tlie pere 



aeaulis, 7. 

 alba, 3. 

 alpestris, 



Californica, 17, 

 Caucasica, 9. 



Cucubahts, 14. 

 Douglasii, 10. 



pendnla. 1. 

 Pennsylvan 

 petriBa, 8. 

 plena, 2, 6. 



SILENE 



EE. FI.S. while lu pink. 



F. Inflorescence leaf)/: 

 fls. borne in forks of 



branches 18. Menziesii 



FF. Inflorescence composed 

 of I o n g - peduneled 



cymes 19. Douglasii 



FFF. Inflorescence denser, 



vertically spicule ...20. Scouleri 



1 pf^ndula, Linn. Trailing, hrnnr'hril animal, with 

 I'' '• ' l-n ,1 or rosy fls. which Ih..-.,i,i,- j.i ihIuIous when 



I I I, ,iii\ is past: plant piili.-c nt : l\-. lanceolate: 

 ;i!:i\ or in pairs in the a.\il~; .•al\\ Ki-nerved, 

 i„,i I, hui, Ill-like after anthesis. but .-on^iriL-ted at the 

 apex in fruit; petals emarginate: seeds kidney-shaped. 

 Mediterranean region. B.M. 114. — Var. Tabirrima is of- 

 fered; also varieties with single and double rose-col- 

 ored fls. R.H. 1884, p. 113. Var. compdcta is offered. 

 Gt. 49, p. 55.i. A good bedding plant. 



2. visodsa, Pers. Biennial, viscous-villous: Ivs. un- 

 dulate : racemes verticillate; peduncles opposite, 1-3- 

 fld.; petals bifid. June, July. Eu., N. Asia.— Accord- 

 ing to Ellwanger & Barry, var. plina grows 1 ft. high 

 and has bright rose double flowers. Use basal cuttings. 



3. Armaria, Linn. Sweet William. Catchflt. Fig. 

 23-2S. Annual, 1-1 J^ ft. high, with many-fld. panicles of 

 piiik, n.-y or white fls.: glabrous except for the wide 

 ^lii-kv Iiaiids below the nodes at the top of plant: Ivs. 



naii: IN. borne in corymbose panicles; calyx tubular- 

 .liib ,Mlia|>i-d, 10-nerved; petals emarginate, appendaged. 

 .Souni.iii Europe. — Var. Alba, Hort., is also popular. 



4. compacta, Fiseh. Much like .S'. Armeria but bien- 

 nial, with mure ca,iii].ai't iiitli.rescenee, longer fls., pet- 

 als ai-iiie and eniire ai apex, and a more easterly geo- 

 graphical range. K. Eu.. Asia .Minor. L. B.C. 17:1638. 

 — iS'. compartii of s^nne tradesmen is likely to be a com- 

 pact-growing variety of 6'. pendttla. 



5. Pumilio, Wulf. Pigmy Catchfly. Dwarf peren- 

 nial, with linear Ivs. and solitary, rose-colored fls.: 

 height a few inches: calyx faintly 20-nerved, inflated 

 after anthesis, wholly green or wholly "chocolate-crim- 

 son"; petals 'undivided," according to Williams, but 

 prettily wavy-lobed in Gn. 11:55. Austrian Alps. — A 

 rare and choice plant. Niven says it has hard woody 

 roots which are easily damaged in transit, and there- 

 fore those who wish the species should secure seeds. 

 Woolson advises a sunny position and rich sandy soil. 



6. maritima, With. Seaside Catchfly. Trailing 

 perennial, with numerous white fls. borne on few-Hd. 

 stems. It has larger fls. than S. inflata, with fewer 

 fls. on a stem, and the petals not so deeply cut at the 

 apex, and 2 small scale" at tin- ba-^t- ..f ea.'b petal- lv<. 

 various: calyx 20-n'-r> , ,i n ti .-..l -it't. r .i,ti:,.i- I'.u. 

 Gn. 57,p. 372.-The -. n 

 glaucous than those li ; rn^i ,i, ' - n. 



is said to have a li'>^ r:iiiii.liiij hnKn :ni,l r ,,|,,r((l 



fls. Origin unknown. This desirable form seems un- 

 known in America. Var. pl6na, Hort., has fewer fls. 

 tlian the type but they are much larger, extremely 

 double and remain in bloom longir. Niven says, "This 

 variety makes a lovely rock ]il,iiii , .iii,l ,,ii-lii :ihva\ s to 

 be placed in such a position III. I , m ' im .biwii 

 by the weight of blossoms, ma \ i :, liik'. "ta 



rock; otherwise, if planted m ; nb i , im* u^l be- 

 sprinkled with soil after every ,sli,.^\ei ,_.! r.iin. " Ni\"en 

 adds that this variety produces no seed and is more 

 easily propagated by cuttings than by division. Gn. 11, 

 p. 12; 57, p. 126. 



7. acaiilig, Linn. Cushion Pink. Moss Campion. 

 Moss-like, tufted perennial about 2 in. high, with red- 

 dish purple fls. about 14 in. across, borne one on a stem. 

 Rootstock much branched : branches short, covered with 

 remains of old Ivs. and crowned by dense, spreading 

 clusters of short, green linear Ivs., from the center of 

 which arise the fl. -stalks: calyx campanulate, glabrous; 



11, this species is readily in- 

 i eds, which it produces spar- 

 idency to become dioecious. 

 Ill somewhat smaller fls. 



