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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS 



SILENE 



genus. It must be grown in a rich well- 

 drained soil, as it cannot stand the wet 

 and cold of winter. It must not however 

 be grown in a soil that is too light and 

 inclined to be dry, but rather in one with 

 plenty of himius or decayed vegetable 

 matter. In fairly mild parts of the king- 

 dom seeds may be sown out of doors in 

 autumn as soon as ripe, or in spring, in 

 the same way as recommended for S. Ar- 

 meria. In cold northern parts they are 

 best sown in cold frames either in autvunn 

 or spring, afterwards moving the plants 

 outside in mild weather in spring. 



S. Elisabethse. — A beautiful perennial 

 3-9 in. high, native of the Tyrolese 

 mountains, with downy and clammy 

 stems and leaves, the latter being 2-3 in. 

 long, lance-shaped, acute. Flowers rather 

 late in summer, Ij in. across, bright rose, 

 the bases or claws of the wedge-shaped 

 notched petals being white. 



Culture dc. as above for 8. acatdis. 

 Increased by seeds or division. This 

 species should be grown in a warm corner 

 of the rockery, in deep soil composed of 

 weU-drained peat and loam. 



S. fimbriata. — A downy perennial 2-4 

 ft. high, native of the Caucasus. Leaves 

 large, ovate lance-shaped, wavy, on long 

 stalks. Flowers from May to August, 

 white, in large spreading panicles ; petals 

 fringed. 



Culture Sc. as above for S. acaulis. 

 Increased by seeds or division. 



S. Hookeri. — A Californian perennial 

 with decumbent stems. Leaves dovmy, 

 2-3 in. long, the lower ones elliptic-spoon- 

 shaped, narrowed into long stalks, the 

 upper ones eUiptic-lance-shaped, acute or 

 pointed. Flowers in early summer, over 

 2 in. across, pink ; petals variously lobed. 



Culture Sc. as above for 8. acaulis. 

 It requires a warm sheltered place in the 

 rock garden and flourishes in rich sandy 

 loam, peat and leaf soil. 



S. inflata (S. Cucubalus). — This 

 glaucous, smooth or downy perennial, 2-3 

 ft. high, is a native of the roadsides and 

 waste places of Britain, and is popularly 

 known as the Bladder Campion or Catch- 

 fly, Cow BeU, "White Ben, White Bottle. 

 Leaves 1-3 in. long, ovate, obovate, or 

 oblong. Flowers from June to August, 

 J in. across, drooping, white, some having 

 Btamens only, some pistils only, others 

 both ; petals deeply cleft ; calyx bladdery, 



net-veined. The variety puberula is a 

 rarer form with downy leaves. 



Culture Ac. as above for 8. aeauHs. 

 Increased by seeds or division. 



S. lacera. — A procumbent hairy bi- 

 ennial, native of the Caucasus, with long- 

 stalked, ovate-lance-shaped, wavy leaves. 

 Flowers from May to August,^ white 

 with jagged petals, and a much inflated 

 calyx. 



Culture dc. as above for 8. convpacta. 

 Increased by seeds sown in early autumn 

 or spring. 



S. laciniata. — A downy perennial 3-4 

 ft. high, native of Mexico and CaUfomia, 

 with large lance-shaped, acute leaves. 

 Flowers in summer, large, terminal, 

 rather drooping, crimson, with a white, 

 two-parted crest ; calyx cylindrical, 

 inflated ; petals more or less 4-cleft. 



Culture <£c. as above for 8. acaulis. 

 Increased by seeds or division. This 

 plant should be grown in the warmest 

 part of the garden. 



S. livida. — A flexuous, downy perennial 

 1 ft. high, native of Carniola, with oblong 

 lance-shaped leaves. Flowers in summer, 

 white above, purplish-green beneath, 

 panicled, drooping to one side ; petals 

 2-cleft, with scales. 



Culture <tc. as above for 8. acaulis. 

 Increased by seeds or division. 



S. maritima. — A perennial species, 

 native of British and W. European sea 

 coasts, very similar in grovrth to the 

 Bladder Campion, 8. inflata. It has a blue- 

 green appearance, the numerous stems 

 being clothed with thickish oblong acute 

 leaves, the edges of which are furnished 

 with small spiny teeth. Flowers from 

 June to August, white, larger than those of 

 8. inflata and remarkable for the con- 

 spicuous blue anthers of the stamens ; 

 petals shortly cleft, the segments broad, 

 with 2 scales at the base. The variety 

 fl^re plena has handsome double flowers 

 rising slightly above the tufts of sea-green 

 leaves. 



Culture dc. as above for S. acaulis. 

 The double-flowered variety can only be 

 increased by dividing the roots or stems 

 in spring. 



S. monachorum. — A pretty Bosnian 

 species very much resembling S. quadri- 

 fida in appearance. Its slender green 

 stems, however, are fiu-nished with 



