126 MANN, 



carved around the outside of mealy albumen. Stems usually swollen 

 at the joints; uppermost leaves rarely alternate. Leaves often united 

 at the base. Calyx imbricated or valvate, persistent. Seeds amphi- 

 tropous or campy lotropous. Eepresented In gardens by Pinks (Dian- 

 thus), etc. 



Petals present. 



Calyx campanulate or tubulose: ovary and stamens raised on a 



stipe (gynophore), 1. SILKNE. 



Calyx not campauulate nor tubulose; gynophore none, . . . 2. CEBASTIUM. 

 Petals none. 



Stanihioilta five and opposite the sepals, 3. SCHIEDEA. 



Stuniiiioilia none. Sepals four with a much smaller fifth one, . 4. ALSINIDENDRON. 



1. SILENE Linn. 



Calyx campanulate tubulose, 5-toothcd, 10-nerved, rarely many- 

 nerved. Petals 5, with a narrow claw, and an entire or bifid blade, 

 often bearing 2 scales at the base. Stamens 10. Gynophore more or 

 less elongated. Ovary 1 -celled or spuriously septate at the base. 

 Styles 3. Capsule dehiscing by C, or rarely 3, teeth or valves at the 

 apex. Seeds affixed by the margin ; embryo periphical. Annual or 

 perennial herbs, or sometimes woody, erect and csespitose or diffusely 

 spreading. Flowers solitary or cymose, often forming one-sided spikes, 

 or terminal panicles. Seeds tuberculate. 



A very large genns, abundantly scattered over the whole world, excepting, mostly, the 

 tropics. 



1. S. STIUJTIIIOLOIDES Gray. (Enum. No. 23.) Stems about 1 high, 

 woody, much branched, erect or spreading. Leaves crowded, two 

 ranked, subulate, pungently acute, grooved, with incurved margins, at 

 length spreading, i'- 1' long, glabrous. Flowers racemiform-panicu- 

 late, at first spreading, erect in fruit. Peduncle 3" long, two-bracted, 

 1 - 2-flowered. Calyx ^' long, tubular, greenish, tinged with pur- 

 ple ; teeth ovate, 1" long. Blade of the petals cuneate and two-lobed, 

 exserted about 3 lines, greenish white, turning purplish ; the dilated 

 claw bearing at its summit a small fleshy two-parted appendage. 

 Stamens included. Stipe 3" long. Ovary 3-celled at base. Capsule 

 partly exserted, G-valved, many-seeded. Seeds minutely reticulate- 

 roughened. A Var. has the leaves more spreading, and a little pu- 

 bescent with fine viscous hairs (as are the branches and inflorescence), 

 their margins especially pubescent-ciliate. 



Mountains of Hawaii, nearly to the limit of vegetation. Region around Kllauea. 



2. S. LANCEOLATA Gray. (Enum. No. 24.) Stems l-2 high, 

 branching, woody, but slender ; branches naked below, leafy above, gla- 

 brous. Leaves narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, nerved, sessile, nar- 



