CAETOPHTLIiJlCEiE. 115 



II. SAP ON ARIA. SAPONAEIA. 



Calyx, coroUa, and stamens of Lychnis. Styles 2. Capsule opening at 

 the top in 4 teeth or short valves. 



This genus, artificially distinguished by the number of styles, comprises 

 several European and west Asiatic species, among which the S. ocymoides 

 and calabrica are frequently cultivated in oui' flower-gardens, and 5. Vaccaria, 

 a common cornfield weed in Continental Europe and central Asia, remark- 

 able for its angular calyx and small pink flowers, is said to have appeared 

 occasionaUy iu our own cornfields. 



1. Coiaiuoii Saponaria. Saponaria officinalis, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1060. Soapwort.) 



A glabrous perennial, with several stout, leafy, erect stems, from 1 to 2 

 feet high. Leaves ovate or elliptical, 2 to 3 inches long, strongly marked 

 with 3 or 5 ribs, and narrowed at the base into a very short, broad stalk. 

 Elowers large and handsome, of a pale pink, or nearly white, m. dense 

 corymbs or heads at the summit of the stems, surrounded by small lanceolate 

 floral leaves or bracts. Calyx tubular, about 9 or 10 hnes long. Petals 

 obcordate. 



On banks, roadsides, and waste places, throughout central aud southern 

 Europe and western Asia. Abundant in some parts of England, Ireland, 

 and southern S«otland, about villages and habitations, probably introduced 

 from cultivation, but perhaps really native on the coasts of Cornwall and 

 Devon. Fl. summer. 



III. SXXiENE. SILENE. 



Calyx, corolla, and stamens of Lychnis. Styles 3. Capsules opening at 

 the top in 6 teeth or short valves. 



A very numerous genus, widely spread over Europe, Russian and central 

 Asia, and North America, with a few south African species. It is very arti- 

 ficially distinguished from Saponaria and Lychnis by the number of styles, 

 and the popular names of Catchfiy and Campion each include species of both 

 Silene and Lychnis. It has been proposed to abandon the character derived 

 from the styles, and to distinguish these two genera by the number of the 

 teeth or valves of the capsule, the same as that of the styles in Lychnis, 

 twice as many in Silene, thus transfeiTing the red and white Lychnises to 

 Silene, but this would scarcely render the geuera less artificial. 



Calyi glabrous. Leaves glabrous or slightly downy. 



Moss-like alpine plant, with very short tul'ted stems . , , , 1. Dwarf S. 

 Stem elongated. 



Calyx much inflated after flowering, ovoid or globular ... 2. Bladder S. 

 Calyx shoEt, not inflated. Flowers numerous, small ... 3. Spanish S. 

 Calyx aud foliage downy or hairy. 

 Perennials. 



Calyx short. Flowers small, numerous, in opposite bunches 



or whorls S. iSpaniah S. 



Calyx tubular. Flowers rather large, nodding, on opposite 



Seduneles, forming loose panicles 4. Nodding S. 

 s. Calyx contracted at the top, with narrow teeth. 

 Flowers axillary, forming unilateral spikes. Calyx 10-ribbed 5. Small-flowered 8. 

 Flowers in terminal dichotomous panicles, or solitary. 



Calyx conical, 25- to 30-ribbed 6. Striated S. 



Calyx long and tubular, 10-ribbed ......... 7. Night S. 



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