CAEYOPHTLLACE^. 11? 



4. Nodding Silene. Silene nutans, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 465, not good. Nottingham Catohfly.) 



Stock tufted and perennial, with a rather thick taproot, short, procum- 

 bent barren shoots, and erect flowering stems, 1 to 2 feet high, more or 

 less hoary with short hairs, and usually viscid in the upper part. Lower 

 leaves oblong-obovate, pointed, narrowed into a long stalk, the stem-leaves 

 few, nawow, and sessile. Flowers nodding, in a loose, rather narrow panicle, 

 3 or 5 together on short opposite peduncles. Calyx tubular, 4 or 5 lines 

 long. Petals white, or greenish underneath, deeply 2-cleft, with long claws, 

 the style and stamens projecting beyond the flower. 



On hUly or stony pastures, and in rocky districts, over nearly the whole 

 of Europe and Russian Asia to the Arctic Circle. Distributed over several 

 parts of England and southern Scotland, but in some places introduced 

 only, and not recorded from Ireland. Ft. summer. 



5. Small-ilo^vered Silene. Silene gallica, Linn. 

 {S. anglica, Eng. Bot. t. 1178.) 



A hairy, slightly viscid, much branched annual, 6 inches to near a foot 

 high, erect or decumbent at the base. Lower leaves small and obovate, 

 upper ones narrow and pointed. Flowers small, nearly sessile, generally 

 all turned to one side, forming a simple or forked terminal spike, with a 

 linear bract at the base of each flower. Calyx very hairy, with 10 longi- 

 tudinal ribs and 5 slender teeth, at first tubular, afterwards ovoid, and 

 much contracted at the top. Petals very small, entire or notched, pale 

 red or white. 



Probably of soiith European origin, but now a common weed in sandy 

 or gravelly fields and waste places, especially near the sea, in most parts of 

 the cultivated world ; pretty frequent in southern England, and appearing 

 occasionally in other parts of Britain. Ft. summer. A variety with a dark 

 spot on the petals, S. quinquevulnera (Eng. Bot. t. 86), used to be culti- 

 vated in flower-gardens. 



6. Striated Silene. Silene conica, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 922.) 



An erect, simple, or sL'ghtly branched annual, about 6 inches high, slightly 

 hoary with minute, soft hairs. Eadical leaves obovate, spreading, those of 

 the stem narrow and erect. Flowers few, in a small, compact, terminal pa- 

 nicle. Calyx conical, about 6 lines long, marked with 25 to 30 longi- 

 tudinal veins, the mouth always contracted, with 5 slender teeth. Petals 

 small, pale pink, notched or 2-cleft. 



In sandy fields and waste places, especially near the sea, common in cen- 

 tral and southern Europe and central Asia, but not reaeliing into northern 

 Germany. In Britain, confined to south-eastern England, or appearing 

 occasionally on ballast-hills further north. Ft. summer. 



7. Night Silene. Silene noctiflora, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 291.) 

 A coarse, erect, hairy, and viscid annual, 1 to 2 feet high, simple or 

 branched. Lower leaves ovate or ovate-lanceolate, and shortly stalked, 

 the upper ones naiTow-lanceolate and sessile. Flowers two or three, or 

 sometimes several together, in a loose, terminal, dichotomous panicle. 

 Calyx above an inch long, tubular, with 10 ribs and 5 slender teethe 



