Lychnis Flos Cuculi. Meadow Lychnis, 



LYCHNIS Linnai Gen. PL Decandria Pentagynia. 



Rail Synopfis Gen. 24. Herb.£ pfntapetal;e vasculIferje. 

 LYCHNIS Flos Cuculi petalis quadrifidis fru&u fubrotundo. Lin. Sy/I, Vegeiab. p. 361. Sp. PI. tip 

 LYCHNIS petalis quadrifidis. Haller. hifi. v. 1. n. 921. 



CARYOPYLLUS pratenfis, lacinkto flore fimplici, five Flos cuculi. Bauhin. pin» 2I0» 

 LYCHNIS plumaria fylveftris fimplex. Parkin/on. farad, 253. 

 ARMERIU3 pratenfis mas et fcemina. Gerard. Emac. 600, 



Raii Synopt ed. 3, 338. Hud/on. Fl. Angl 174. Oeder. Flor. Dan. tab. 590. Scopoli. Fl 



CarnioL ed. 2. p. 31 1< 



RADIX perennis, fibrofa, ex albido fufca, faporis fub- | ROOT perennial, fibrous, of a brownifh white colour, 

 acris. £ and fomewhat biting tafte. 



CAULIS pedalis ad tripedalem, erectus, fulcato-angula- * STALK from one to three feet high, upright, fome- 

 tus, articulatus, geniculi tumidi, fcabriufculus, £ what angular and grooved, jointed, the joints 



purpurafcens. fwelled, roughifh, and of a purplifh colour. 



FOLIA Caulis, oppofita, connata, lanceolata, carina- | LEAVES of the Stalk oppofite, connate, lanceolate, 

 ta, fuberecta, la3via. | the midrib prominent underneath, upright and 



I fmooth. 



I 

 PEDUNCULI oppofiti, plerUmque unico intermedio. | PEDUNCLES oppofite, one generally intermediate. 



CALYX : Perianthium monophyllum, tubulatum | CALYX a Perianthium of one leaf, tubular, quinque- 

 quinquedeutatum, decangulatum, purpureum^ £ dentate, having ten angles, or ridges, and of a 



perfiftens. fg. 1 . | deep purple colour. 



COROLLA Petala quinque, unguis longitudine caly^ t COROLLA : five petals, the claw the length of the 

 cis, Jig. 2. limbus quadrifidus, laciniis exteri- | Calyx, fg. 2. the limb divided into four laci- 



oribus brevioribus, et anguftioribus, Jig. 4. $ nise, the exterior fhorteft. and narrower!:, Jig. 4., 



ad bafin limbi laminae duae erectae acuta?, fg. 3, & at the bottom of the limb are placed two imall 



I upright laminae, fg. 3. 



STAMINA: Filamenta decern, fubulata, quorum | STAMINA : ten Filaments, tapering, five long and 

 quinque breviora, fg. ;, brevioribus ungui peta- £ five fhort, fg. 5. the fhorter filaments affixed 



lorum affixis. fg. 6. . IntherjE oblongae, bilo- | to the claw of each petal, fg. 6. the Anthers 



culares, fg. 7. incumbentes, purpurafcentes. | oblong, bilocular. fg. 7. laying acrofs the fila* 



t ments, and of a purplim hue. 



r 



PISTILLUM Germen fubovatum, fg. 8. Styli quin- | PISTILLUM: the Germen fomewhat oval, fg. 8. five 

 que fubulati, fubincurvati, fg. 10. Stigmata & Styles tapering and bending a little inward* 



fimplicia. fg. 10. J fg. I0 . Stigmata fimple. fg. 10. 



PERICARPIUM Capsula ovata, uniloculars, ore 1 SEED-VESSEL : a Capsule, oval, of one cavky, the 

 qainquedentato, dentibus reflexis. fg. 9. | mouth having five teeth which turn back. fg. 9. 



% 



SEMINA numerofa, fubcompreffa, fcabriufcula, ex ci- | SEEDS numerous, flattifh, rough, and of a brown afrl 

 nereo-fufca. fg. 11. 12. ^ colour. /g. 11. 12. 



A variety of names hath been given to this Plant, as Meadow Pink, Cuckow Flower, Wild Williams, Ragged 

 Robin, &c. Meadow Lychnis however feems to us the moft eligible, It abounds in moift Meadows, where it 

 flowers in May and June, and is included amongft the great number of which our Meadow hay is compounded. 

 Goats, Sheep, and Horfes are faid to feed on it. The ufe to which it is applied, feems to be chiefly ornamental ; 

 the beauty of its flowers juftly entitles it (with many other neglected Britifh Plants) to a place in the Gardens of 

 the curious : where it is frequently found with a double flower, making a beautiful appearance, and requiring little 

 more care in its culture, than to be placed in a moift fituation : It may be propagated either by feeds or flips ; the feeds 

 may be found ripe in the latter end of June, by the fides of ditches, where the Mower's Scythe has not reached 

 them. We fometimes find the Meadow Lychnis growing wild with a double flower, and fometimes with a white 

 one ; but this is altogether accidental. 



The agreement between the blowing of flowers, and the periodical return of birds of pavTage, has been attended 

 to from the earliefl ages : Before the return of the feafons was exactly afcertained by Aftronomy, thefe obfervatioM 

 were of great confequence in pointing out ftated times for the purpofes of Agriculture ; and ftill, in many a Cottage, 

 the birds of paflage and their correfponding flowers affift. in regulating 



"%%e Jhort, and fimple Annals of the Poor* 1 



For this reafon, no doubt, we have feveral other plants that, in different places, go by the name of Cuckow Flower. 

 Gerard fays, Cardamine pratenfis (Common Ladies Smock) is the true Cnckow Flower. Shakejpear's Cuckow 

 Buds are of < s yellow hue." By fome the Orchis, Arum, and Wood-ibrrel are all called after the Cuckow, 



