Cheiranthus.] crdcifek^. 29 



excepting at or near their summits, those of the year downy with short stellate 

 pubescence. Leaves mostly crowded into tufts at the ends of the branches, on the 

 young or flowering shoots alternate or two or three together, oblong-lanceolate, 

 quite entire, thick and fleshy, dull whitish green, flat, very obtuse and rounded at 

 their apex, more or less decurved, the lower leaves for the most part very strongly 

 arched, covered on both sides with flne stellate pubescence, but quite destitute of 

 those callous pedicellate glands which are found on M. sinuata, gradually taper- 

 into thick 2-edged petioles which are rounded beneath, nearly flat above, not 

 grooved. Corymbs terminal, racemose, naked and simple, loose. Bracts none. 

 Peduncles patent or spreading, lomentose, various in length, shorter, equal to or 

 longer than the calyx, nearly erect in seed. Flowers very large and handsome, 

 1 — If inch in diameter, delicately fragrant with the odour of cloves. Calyx 

 oblong, 6 or 7 lines in length, stellately tomentose, purplish. Sepals linear- 

 oblong, cohering into a tube, gibbous at the base, their tips thickened at the back, 

 obtuse, spreading, with purplish scariose margins. Petals of a fine purplish pink 

 varying to violet-blue or lilac on the same plant, widely spreading or a little 

 deflexed, obovato-rotundate or obcordate, slightly emarginate or nearly entire, 

 whitish where they begin tapering into their long, narrow, greenish, fiira, fleshy 

 and upright claws, forming a pale eye in the centre of the flower. Stamens erect, 

 glabrous ; filaments of the 4 longer stamens curved or slightly ascending from the 

 base and again approximating at top, flattened or dilated and subulate at their 

 margins, a little concave on the inner side, tapering and slightly furrowed : shorter 

 filaments much compressed laterally, not tapering or dilated, shorter than their 

 anthers ; anthers pale yellow, sagittate, lanceolate. Hypogynous glands, — a pair at 

 the base of the two shorter filaments which they enclose between them, ureen, 

 compressed, ascending and sonfewhat pointed, deciduous. Germen villous, 

 oblong, compressed and tapering, equalling the two shorter stamens. Stigma of 

 2 shortly decurrent lobes. 



The delicious fragrance of the wild plant, more particularly of an evening, 

 surpasses that of the cultivated Stock or Gilliflower, of which it is the parent. 



Though only of biennial growth in our gardens, the Sea Stock is certainly 

 perennial on its native cliffs, as is evident from the remains of the seed-pods of 

 the previous year continuing attached to the flowering branches of the current 

 season. Besides, Jackman, an intelligent cliffsman, whom I have repeatedly 

 employed to procure specimens from their otherwise inaccessible locality, speaks 

 with certainty of many bushes which he has remarked for five successive years, 

 and there are some of very large size which he believes must be at least above 

 seven years old. From their position on the face of nearly perpendicular clifi's 

 having a southern aspect, the plants are fully protected from" North and North- 

 east winds, and enjoy the mitigating influence of the sea air, yet they are some- 

 times cut off' by spring frosts in seasons like the present (1845) of unusual lateness 

 and severity. 



II. Cheiranthus, Linn. Wall-flower. 



" Pod compressed or 2-edged. Calyx erect, 2 opposite sepals 

 saccate at the base. Stigma placed on a style 2-lobed, the lobes 

 patent or capitate. Hypogynous glands none between the longer 

 stamens." — Br. Fl. 



1. C. Cheiri, L. Common Wall-flower. " Leaves lanceolate 

 acute entire with bipartite appressed hairs, pods linear, lobes of 

 the stigma patent, stem shrubby at the base." — Br. Fl. p. 24. C. 

 fruticulosus, L. : E. B. t. 1934. 



On old walls and roofs, rocks and clifi's by the sea, common, but I think doubt- 

 fully indigenous. J";. April— June. i^r-. June. 1?. t i r j r> 



E. Merf.— Abundant on the walls and farm -buildings at Hasely [and Uuarr, 

 Dr. Bell-Salter, Edrs.] Common on walls at Brading. 



