116 THE PINK TAMILT. 



Two Eouth European species, S. italica (S. patens, Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 

 2748) and the Label's Catchfly {S. Armeria, Eng. Bot. t. 1398), appear to 

 have occasionally escaped from gardens, and sown themselves in some 

 localities. Several other exotic species, especially S. compacta, S. vespertina, 

 S. rubella, S. Shafta, etc., are frequent ornaments of our flower-beds. 



1. DT^arf Silene. Silene acaulis, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1081. Moss Campion^ 



This beautiful little mountain plant forms dense moss-Kke tufts, often 

 many inches diameter, consisting of a much branched perennial stock, the 

 very short branches covered with the remains of old leaves, and crovmed by 

 dense spreading clusters of short, green, Hnear, and glabrous leaves. From, 

 the centre of these arise the numerous flowers, either sessile or on 1- 

 flowered peduncles, wliich seldom attain an inch in length. Calyx broadly 

 tubular or campanulate, quite glabrous, with rather obtuse teeth. Petals 

 reddish-purple, obovate, slightly notched, with a small scale at the base of 

 the lamina. , 



In the mountains of northern and Arctic Europe, Asia, and America, and, 

 at considerable elevations, on the great mountain-ranges of central and 

 southern Europe. Abundant in the mour.tains of Scotland and northern 

 Ireland, extending more sparingly into the Lake district of England and 

 into North Wales. Fl. summer. 



2. Bladder Silene. Silene inflata, Sm. 



{Cucubalus Hehen, Eng. Bot. t. 164. Bladder Campion.) 

 A perennial, loosely branched at the base, with ascending or seldom erect 

 stems, from 6 inches to above a foot long, of a glaucous green, and usually 

 glabrous. Leaves ovate, oblong, or rarely nearly linear, and usually pointed. 

 Flowers few, white, erect or slightly drooping, in loose terminal panicles. 

 Cah'x rather more than half an inch long, becomes at length almost globu- 

 lar," inflated, and much veined. Petals more or less deeply 2-eleft, with a 

 small scale at the base of the lamina, which sometimes disappears altogether. 

 In fields, on banks, roadsides, and waste places, throughout Em-ope and 

 Kussian and central Asia, extending into the Arctic regions and to high 

 alpine summits. Grenerally spread over Bi'itain, but not very common. 

 Fl. all summer. A seacoast variety, with short diffuse stems, thicker, more 

 obtuse leaves, and almost soUtary flowers, has been distinguished as a spe- 

 cies, imder the name of S. maritima (Eng. Bot. t. 957). 



- ' 8. Spanish Silene. Silene Otites, Sm. 



. .(^Cucubalus, Erg. Bot. t. 85.) 



Perennial stock short and tufted, with narrow leaves, as in the nodding S. ; 

 the stems simple, erect and stiff', with few leaves, about afoot high. Flowers 

 dioecious, small and numerous, of a pale yellowish green, arranged m loose, 

 opposite clusters, haviag the appearance of whorls, and forming a long, 

 naiTow panicle. Calyx scarcely li lines long. Petals narrow and entire. 

 Style and stamens projecting bej'ond the flower. 



In sandy fields and pastures, in central, southern, and especially eastern 

 Europe, and all across Eussian Asia, not so common in western Europe, 

 although extending to the sandy shores of the Atlantic. In Britain only 

 in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire. FL summer. 



