THE CAMPION 



163 



distribution by holding in the hand a group of several 

 balls. If pressure is put on the outer members of 

 the group, one of the inner balls is squeezed out. 



Text-fig. XVI. illustrates the way in which the 

 seeds are ejected. The seeds 

 of each row are shot out in 

 regular order. The upper 

 valve has still its three rows 

 of seeds; the valve below 

 to the left has lost one row, 

 while that on the right has 

 lost two rows. When all the 

 seeds are distributed, the valves 

 of the capsule close on them- 

 selves. 



THE CAMPION. 



A very common plant in 

 the Alpine meadows is the FIG. xvi. Ripe Fruit of the 

 Campion (Stone cucubalus, 

 Wibel = Silene inflata, Sm., 

 natural order Caryophyllace*, 

 the Pink family). This plant 

 forms massive clumps, which 

 are quite unmistakable. The smooth, glossy, hairless 

 stems bear numerous white flowers, with a very 

 inflated or swollen calyx, the veins of which are very 

 prominent. Some of the flowers contain both male 

 and female organs, others only stamens, and others, 

 again, only an ovary, the last being distinctly smaller 

 flowers, 



seeds - Enlarge 



lost one row? the right valve, 



