CLASS X. ORDER ll.J DIANTHUS. 617 



at the base of the germen. Stigmas nearly sessile. Seeds numerous, 

 small, in a one celled linear oblong capsule, smooth, bursting at the 

 apex with four lanceolate teeth. Seeds numerous, compressed, and 

 finely dotted. 



Habitat. — Pastures and hedges in various parts of England and 

 Scotland, especially in a gravelly soil, but not very common. 



Annual ; flowering in July and August. 



This is not a very ornamental plant ; the flowers are small, but very 

 beautiful and delicately spotted, only one or two expanding at the 

 same time in a cluster, and they are without odour. Jt is not unfre- 

 quent in almost all parts of the Continent, and De CandoJle mentions 

 a variety bearing a solitary flower. 



** Scales of the calyx ovate, membranous ; calyx smooth. 



2. D. proli'fer, Linn. (Fig. 702.) Proliferous Pink. Flowers clus- 

 tered, capitate; scales of the calyx ovate, membranous, longer than the 

 tubes, and enveloping them; stem smooth ; leaves rough on the edges; 

 seeds smooth. 



English Botany, t. 956. — English Flora, vol. ii. p. 286. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol i. p. 203. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 44. 



Root small, tapering, and fibrous. Stems solitary, or numerous from 

 the same root, erect, simple or branched, roundish, smooth, from six to 

 eighteen inches high, leafy. Leaves opposite, united at the base, the 

 lower ones into a short tube, linear, erect, or spreading, with a mid rib 

 and one or two lateral ones, smooth, except the margins and mid-rib 

 being rough, with small teeth, the lower leaves broader and spatulate. 

 Inflorescence terminal close clusters, in an ovate head, mostly of nu- 

 merous flowers, enveloped in dry pale brown smooth ovate membranous 

 scales, the outer ones pointed, the inner obtuse, with two or three small 

 points. Calyx with a slender furrowed tube, smooth, the limb of five 

 lanceolate teeth. Corolla of five small deep rose coloured petals, with 

 long tapering claws, and inversely heart-shaped limb. Stamens with 

 slender filaments, of variable lengths. Anthers small, ovate, two 

 celled, purplish. Styles about as long as the stigmas. Capsule one 

 celled, linear, oblong, smooth, bursting at the apex with four valves. 

 Seeds numerous, black, smooth. 



Habitat. — Gravelly pastures in England ; rare. Selsey Island, 

 Sussex ; meadows between Hampton Court and Teddington, near 

 Norwich ; and near Hanby Castle, Worcestershire ; Hyde, Isle of 

 Wight— i?ei;. C. E. Babington. 



Annual ; flowering in July. 



This is readily distinguished from all other of our British species by 

 its ovate head of flowers, enveloped in its pale membranous scales, but, 

 like the last, it is scentless, and only one flower is expanded at a time. 

 Jt is frequent on the Continent, and is nearly allied to D. velutinus, 

 Guss, which has the stem between the leaves downy, and the seeds 



