LYCHNIS 



Some of the species of LycLnis are amongst the best 

 knowu of old-fashioned flowers, as tlie Mullein Pink, 

 Maltese Cross and Ragged Robin. These are essentially 

 flower-garden subjects. Others, as L. tilpina, are bet- 

 ter kuown as border or rockwork plants. All species 

 are easily grown from seeds, the biennials and peren- 

 nials blooming the second year. The perennials are 

 often propagated by division. 



INDEX. 



Agrostemma, 1, 5, elegans, 10. semperftorens, 11- 



6, 7. fimbriata, 7. Senno. 14. 



alba, 9. Plos-cuculi, 11. Sieboldii, 12. 



alpina, 4. Flos-Jovis. 6. Silene, 7. 



Chalcedonica, 2. fulgens, 3, 12. speciosa, 12. 



Cceli-rosa, 7. Githago, 1. splendeus, 10. 



Coronaria, 5. grandiflora, 12. Snecica, 4. 



955 



12. 



Hiiageana 

 ocuaa, 



vespertina, 9. 

 Viscaria, 7, 10. 



A. Calyx lobes long and leafy: petals not crowned. 

 1. GitMgo, Scop. (Agrosthnma GitliAgo, Linn.). 

 CoRN-ooCKLB. Figs. 1329-30; also 82.5. An annual weed 

 in wheat-fields, and difficult to eradicate because the 

 seeds are not readily screened from the wheat in the 

 thresher orfanning-mill: plant strict, 2-3 ft. tall, white- 

 hairy: Ivs. nearly linear: fls.long-peduncled, red-purple 

 and showy, the obovate 

 entire petal limbs ex- 

 ceeded by the narrow 

 oaljx lobes — these lobes 

 falling when the fruit is 

 iipe En -Raiely cult 

 in old gardens 

 AA. Cullir Inle^ nntpio 

 long d and leafi/ 

 p,t ,1s usually 



th 



2 Chalced6nica, Linn 



JIALTE>^E t KObS TeRU 

 «ALEM tEO'-S SfARLET 



Lir,HTS 



Fig 



l«l 



Peiennial 2-3 ft till, 

 usually loose hiir\ the 

 stems Simple or nearly 

 so h s oblong or cor 

 1330. Flower of the Corn-cockle date-lanceolate, clasping 

 (Lychnis Githago) in bud. (upper ones often nar- 

 Natural size. row and tapering ) , short- 



pointed, hairy: fls. 1 in. 

 long, with narrow upward-enlarging ribbed calyx 

 and spreading, obcordate-notched limb. June. B.M.257. 

 — Probably Japanese, but long in cult., and one of the 

 best of all old-fashioned flowers. The fls. are usually 

 brick-red to scarlet, but there are varieties with rose- 

 colored, flesh-colored and white blossoms; also with 

 double fls. The arrangement of the petal-limbs sug- 

 gests the Maltese cross, hence one of the common 

 names. Rarely persists for a time as a weed. 



3. fiilgens, Fischer (not Hort.). An erect-stemmed 

 perennial, hairy: Ivs. ovate to ovate-oblong, roughish, 

 tapering below but scarcely petioled : fls. few, in a rather 

 dense terminal cluster, bright scarlet, each petal divided 

 into two broad lobes, on the outer side of which are two 

 other and very narrow lobes, the ends of the main lobes 

 slightly toothed ; calyx oblong or ovate, 10-ribbed, with 

 erect teeth. Siberia, China, Japan. B.M.2104. B.R. 

 6:478. — Perhaps not in cultivation in this country. The 

 plant that passes under this name is probably a form of 

 Jj. coronata. From //. Chalcedonica it is distinguished 

 by lower stature, much larger fls., and the well-marked 

 side teeth or lobes on the petals. 



4. alpina, Linn. Glabrous, tufted, a ft. or less tall: 

 Ivs. mostly at the base, thickish, linear or oblong : fls. 

 pink, with 2-lobed petals (segments linear), and short. 



BB. Fls. mostly larger, borne 

 singly or ill loose chisters, 

 or at least the clusters not 

 all terminal. 

 c. Plant ichite-woolhj 

 throughout. 



5. Coroniria, Desv. (Agro- 

 stimma Corondria, Linn. Cor- 

 ondria tomenldsa, A. Br.). 

 Mullein Pink. Dusxy Mil- 

 ler. Rose Cajipion. Pig. 

 1332. Biennial or perennial, 

 1-2K ft. tall, forking towards 

 the top : Ivs. oblong, oblong- 

 oval or oblong-spatulate, the 

 lower ones obtuse or nearly 

 so, tapering to a more or less 

 clasping base: fls. large {IK 

 in. across), circular in outline, 

 crimson or rose - crimson, 

 borne singly on the ends c£ 

 the branches; petals with ap- 

 pendages at the throat; caljx 

 with filiform teeth. Eu. and 

 Asia. B.M. 24. -A common . 

 plant of old gardens, and 

 sometimes escaped. The glow- 

 ing fls. and white foliage make 

 it a conspicuous plant. A hy- 

 brid of this and L. Flos-Joi ,s 

 isflguredinG.C. II1.2, p. 101. 



6. F168-Jdvis, Desv. Per 

 ennial, 12-18 in., mak: 

 clump: Ivs. in a rosette 

 cauline, oval-lanceolate, more 



or less clasping : fls. small ( Vo in . or less across ) , bright 

 red or rose, in a rather dense, umbel-like cluster. Eu. 

 B.M. 398 (as Agrostemma Flos-Jovis).— Hardy peren- 

 nial, rarely seen in old gardens. 



cc. Plant not white-ieoolly , green. 

 D. Petals S-notched or 2-cleft. (Forms of No. 12 may he 



sought here.) 



E. Anmials. 



7. Coeli-rdsa, Desv. Rose of Heaven. Fig. 1333. A 



very floriferous annual, 12-18 in., glabrous: Ivs. linear, 



long-acuminate and very sharp-pointed: fls. on slender 



1331. Lychnis Chalcedonica. 



» ,'<i»V 



1332 Lychnis Coronaria 



stems, about an inch across, the petals only slightly 

 notched, rose-red, with a linear bifid scale at the throat; 

 calyx club-shaped. Mediterranean region. B.M. 295 (as 



