The Catchjly. 229 



petals are held together at top by the hooks at the end of the 

 caly x ' l ^ e se o ments °f which first separate, and discover the 

 corolla, a long time before it acquires sufficient expansive force 

 t0 unhook the calyx at the top. When it has expanded suffi- 

 ciently, the calyx suddenly bursts open with a perceptible 

 sound, and the corolla expands almost instantaneously to a 

 certain point, then stops, and after a little time spreads out to 

 its full extent. 



Most of the species, are natives of North America, and they 

 are about thirty in number. The one in our plate is perhaps 

 the largest and most showy. The flowers are very large, and 

 the tube of the calyx is sometimes more than four inches long. 

 The stems trail near the ground, the flowers lying on the large 

 leaves. It grows in several of the Western States, on the 

 banks o[ the Mississippi River. 



SILENE— THE CATCHFLY. 



Natural Order, Caryophyllacese; Linnaean System, Decandria, Trigynia. 

 Generic Distinctions : — Calyx tubular, five-toothed, without scales at the 

 base ; petals, five, bifid, uuguiculate, often crowned with scales at the 

 mouth; stamens, ten; styles, three; capsules, three-celled, many seeded. 



S. Pensylvanica. Viscidly pubescent, radical leaves, spatulate ; cauline 

 ones, laueolate ; petals, obtuse, somewhat emarginate, subcrenate. — Plate 

 ai. Fig.l. 



8. regia. Clammy, pubescent ; leaves, ovate, lanceolate ; flowers, large, 

 panicled ; calyx, downy, long, tubular ; petals, undivided, crowned with 

 bicuspidate appendages ; stamens, very long. — Plate 34. Fig. 2. 



5. chlorafolia. Very smooth, and glaucous ; stems, branched ; leaves, 

 elliptical, pointed, upper ones cordate; flowers, in a terminal panicle, 

 large ; calyx, long, downy ; petals, two-lobed.— Plate 34. Fig. 3. 



The ancient poets represented the god Silenus as being con- 

 stantly drunk and covered with slaver. The plants of this 

 genus have generally upon them a viscid, frothy secretion, and 

 so are named from the aforesaid jolly god. This moist secre- 

 tion is also said to attract flies, whence the common name, 

 Catchfly. The species are numerous, and about fifteen are 



