118 THE PINK TAMILT. 



swelling, as the fruit ripens, rather below the middle. Petals rather large, 

 2-cleft, pale pink or nearly white, opening at night. 



Probably of south European origin, now a common cornfield weed in 

 central Europe, and found occasionally as such in various parts of England 

 and southern Scotland. Fl. with the corn. 



IV. I.VCHNIS. LYCHNIS. 



Calyx tubular or inflated, with 5 teeth. Petals 5, with erect claws and a 

 spreading lamina, entire or 2-cleft, usually with a small, double or notched 

 scale at its base. Stamens 10. Styles 5, or very rarely 4. Capsule 1- 

 celled, or divided at the base into 5 cells, and opening m 5 or 10 teeth or 

 short valves at the top. 



Far less numerous than Silene, the species of this genus are however 

 widely spread over the northern hemisphere without the tropics. Some 

 botanists break up the genus into several small ones, referring the British 

 species to Melandrium, Agrostemma, Lychnis, and Viscaria. 



Calyx with long, narrow, green lobes projecting beyond the petals . , 3. CwmL, 

 Calyx-teeth shorter than the petals. 



Calyx after flowering much swollen, ovoid and globular. 



Plant glabrous and glaucous. Calyx veined Bladder Silene, 



Plant coarse, green, and hairy. Calyx 10-ribbed. 



Flowers white. Capsule ovoid 1. White L, 



Flowers red. Capsule nearly globular 2. Med L. 



Calyx tubular or short, not swollen. 



Flowers in loose panicles. Petals cut into narrow strips , , , , 4. Meadov) Ij, 

 Flowers in heads, or dense oblong panicles. 



Stems very viscid. Calyx narrow, tubular. Petals notched . , 5. Viscid L. 



Stems not viscid. Calyx short. Petals 2-cleft 6. Alpine L. 



Among the exotic species most frequently cultivated for ornament, may 

 be mentioned the L. chaleedoniea, L. coronaria or Rose Campion, L. Coeli- 

 Hosa, and i. ocellata, from the Mediterranean region or the Levant, and 

 L. Julgens from Mexico. 



1. ^Vhite Iiycbnis. Iiychnis vespertina, Sibth. 

 (i. dioica alba, Eng. Bot. t. 1580.) 



A rather coarse, hauy biennial, more or less viscid, 1 to 2 feet high, and 

 loosely branched. Leaves oval-oblong, usually pointed, tapermg at the 

 base, the lower ones stalked. Flowers few, in loose panicles, rather large, 

 white, or rarely pale pink, opening ia the evening (when they are slightly 

 scented), and usually dioecious. Calyx 7 to 9 Hues long, softly hairy, with 

 10 ribs and 5 lanceolate-Unear teeth, swelhng as the capsule ripens, so as to 

 assume an ovoid shape. Petals 2-cleft. Capsule ovoid, opening at the top 

 in 10 teeth, which remain erect, or curve slightly outwards. 



Under hedges, in fields and waste places, throughout Europe and Rus- 

 sian Asia. Abundant in Britain. Fl. all summer. 



2. Red Iiycbnis. Iiychnis diurna, Sibth. 



(X. dioica rubra, Eng. Bot. t. 1579.) 



Very near the ivhite L., and perhaps a mere variety, but the plant is 



less viscid, the leaves and calyxes usually shorter, the flowers red, scentless, 



.opening in the morning, and the capsule more globular, the 10 teeth very 



spreading, or rolled back. 



