CARYOPHTLLACE^, 45 



flat or sliglitly concave beneath, with the hilum about the middle 

 of the flat or concave base. 



Herbs or imdershrubs, with the leaves often grass-like and 

 glaucous. Flowers solitary, or in cymes or fascicles, generally rose- 

 coloured or purple. 



The name of this genus of plants is derived from ^loc {(lios), divine, and afdoQ 

 {antJios), a flower — the flower of the gods, — in allusion to the singular beauty and 

 fragrance of some of the species. It is from one or other of the species of this genus 

 that the cultivated varieties of Carnations and Pinks are produced. 



Sub-Genus I.— CARYOPHYLLUM. Encll. 



Calyx sub-cylindrical, not angular, covered all over with nerves, 

 each sepal having 7, 9, or 11 ; involucral bracts or scales 2 or 

 more, embracing the base of the calyx, present in all the flowers. 

 Flowers in fasciculate or lax cymes, or solitary. Petals suddenly 

 contracted into narrow claws parallel to each other. 



SPECIES L—DIANTHUS ARMERIA. 



Plate CXCI. 

 Eeich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. VL Caryoph. Tab. CCXLIX. Fig. 5011. 



No perennial rootstock nor barren leafy shoots. Stems 1 or 

 more from the crown of the root, slightly dichotomously branched 

 above, each fork terminating in a small fascicle of shortly-stalked 

 flowers. Calyx woolly, strongly ribbed, with 2 involucral bracts, 

 which are oval, acuminated into long acute points, nearly equalling 

 or sometimes exceeding the narrowly - triangular calyx teeth. 

 Petals with the laminse elliptical-oblong, toothed at the apex, not 

 contiguous. 



On dry banks and in fields. Rather rare, though pretty gene- 

 rally distributed in the South and East of England. Reported 

 from Forfarshire; but Dr. "Walker Arnott considers it probably 

 introduced. 

 England, Scotland ?. Annual or Biennial. Summer and Autumn. 



Root a tap-root, at first producing a rosette of linear-oblance- 

 olate leaves, from the centre of which an erect stem, 1 to 2 feet 

 high, is sent up, irregularly forked in the upper portion : in large 

 examples the stem branches into several at the base, and these 

 lateral stems are first curved, then erect. Stem leaves ascending- 

 erect, linear-strapshaped, acute, keeled, 1^ to 2 inches long. Stem 

 and branches terminated by small compact fascicles of 3 to 8 flowers 

 with long linear-lanceolate acute bracts. Fascicles of flowers dicho- 

 tomous, with or without a flower in the forks. Calyx tube with 



