CLASS X. ORDER IV.] LYCHNIS. 671 



GENUS XXIV. LYCH'NIS.— Linn. Calchfly. 



Nat. Ord. Caryophyl'leje. Juss. 



Gen. Char. Calyx of one piece, tubular, five toothed. Petals five, 

 with six at the throat. Capsule of one, or partly five celled, 

 opening with five or ten teeth at the apex. — Name from Xvx^oi, 

 a lamp; so called, it is said, in allusion to the wick of some of the 

 species having been used as wicks to lamps. 



1. L. Flos-Cuculi, Linn. (Fif;. 766.) Meadow Lychnis, Jlagged 

 Robin. Flowers in a loose panicle ; petals cut into four linear spread- 

 ing segments, rough ; leaves linear, lanceolate ; capsule roundish, of 

 one cell. 



English Botany, t. 573.— English Flora, vol. ii. p. 326.— Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 214. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 47. 



Root tapering, and with branched fibres. Stem erect, simple, from 

 one to two feet high, square, rough, with short defiexed hairs, especially 

 beneath the joints, and clammy. 



Leaves opposite, united at the base, those of the stem linear lanceo- 

 late erect, the radical ones, and those of the branches tapering into a 

 rather long slender footstalk, and mostly fringed with pale soft hairs. 

 Inflorescence a terminal forked panicle, with a solitary flower from the 

 axis of each division, and accompanied with a pair of linear tapering 

 sub-membranous hracteas. Flowers inodorous, a delicate rose colour, 

 rarely white. Calyx campanulate, ten ribbed, sub-membranous, 

 pinkish, with five lanceolate teeth. Corolla campanulate, of five 

 petals, the limb of four deep cut linear spreading segments, the base 

 tapering into a claw, as long as the calyx, and crowned by two linear 

 teeth. Stamens ten, on slender awl-shaped filaments, five as long as 

 the calyx, and five shorter, attached to the base of the claws. Styles 

 five, sometimes three or four, thread-shaped, as long as the stamens, 

 with downy stigmas. Capsule as long as the calyx, roundish ovate, 

 of one cell, opening at the apex with five valves. Seeds numerous, 

 attached to a central receptacle by a rather long cord (funis). 



Habitat. — Meadows, pastures, &c. ; frequent. 



Perennial ; flowering in June and July. 



This is a gay ornamental plant, becoming by cultivation double, 

 and forms a pretty border flower ; but it requires a good soil and moist 

 situation to retain this peculiarity, otherwise the stamens and pistils 

 return to their normal state. 



2. L. Visca'ria, Linn. (Fig. 767.) Red viscid Calchfly, or rock 

 Lychnis. Flowers in a terminal whorled panicle; petals slightly 

 notched ; stem smooth, viscid beneath the joints ; leaves lanceolate, 

 ciliated at the base. 



