1 



Lychnis dioica flore rubro. Red Campion. 



LYCHNIS Linntfi Gen. PL Decandria Pentagynia. 



haec fpecies vero dioica eft. 



Cal. i-phyllus, oblongus, laevis. Petala 5 unguiculata. Limbo fubbifido. 



Caps. 5-locularis. 

 Rail Syn. Gen. 24. -Herb^e pentapetal^e vasculiferje. 

 LYCHNIS dioica floribus dioicis. Linntei Syft. Vegetab. p. 362. Fl. Suecic. p. 156, Sp. PL p. 626. 

 LYCHNIS floribus fexu diftindls. Holier, hijl. n. 923. 

 LYCHNIS dioica. Scopoli FL Carniol. n. 530. 



LYCHNIS fylveftris five aquatica purpurea limplex. Bauhin pin. 204. 

 LYCHNIS fylveftris flore rubro. Parkinfion. 631. 



LYCHNIS fylveftris rubello flore. Gerard emac. 469. Raii Syn. ^^, Red Flowered Wild Campion. 

 Hudfion Fl. Angl. 174. 



RADIX perennis, minimi digiti craffitudine, alba, fa- f 



pore fubacri et amaro, fibris multis donato. I 



t 



CAULES ex una radice plures, ere&i, pedales, aut tri- | 



pedales -etiam, teretes, hirfuti, geniculati, pur- | 



purei, geniculis incraflatis, ramofi, ramis fu- I 



perioribus dichotomis. I 



FOLIA oppofita, connata, ovato-acuminata, hirfuta, y 



fubnervofa. | 



CALYX : Perianthium monopbyllum, tubulofum, | 



hiriutum, ftriatum, purpureum, quinqueden- f 



tatum, perfiftens, fig. 1 ; in feminea turgidior, | 



fig- 2. _ I 



COROLLA \ Petala quinque obcordata, purpurea, % 



patentia, fig. 3 ; ad baiin lamina, unguiculas f 



obtufae, bifida aut quadrifidae, fig. 4. % 



STAMINA : Filament a decern fubulata, alba, quo- | 

 rum quinque longiora : Anthers flavefcentes, | 



fig- 5- * 



PISTILLUM : Germen ovatum: Neclario ad -bairn | 



cinclum, fig. 6 : Styli quinque longi : albi : •$ 



villofi : Stigmata fimplicia, fig. 7. f 



PERICARPIUM : Capsula unilocularis, ore decern- | 



dentato, fig. 8. % 



SEMINA plurima, cana, fcabriufcula, fig: 9. ? 



ROOT perennial, the thicknefs of the little finger, 

 white, of a (lightly acrid and bitter tafte, fur- 

 nifhed with numerous fibres. 



STALKS feveral from one root, upright, from one to 

 three feet high, round, hirfute, jointed, pur- 

 ple, the joints fwelled, branched, the uppermoft 

 branches forked. 



LEAVES oppofite, connate, oval-pointed, hirfute, and 

 flightly nervous. 



CALYX : a Perianthium of one leaf, tubular, hairy, 

 ftriated, purple, having five teeth, and con- 

 tinuing, fig. 1 ; in the female more turgid, 

 fig- 2. 



COROLLA : fivepurplimheart-fhaped Petals, fpread- 

 ing, fig. 3 : at the bottom of the lamina or 

 broad part of the petal, are two or four fmall 

 upright white blunt leaves, or additional petals, 



fig- 4- 

 STAMINA : ten white tapering Filaments, of which 



five are longer than the others: Antherje 



yellowiih, fig. 5. 

 PISTILLUM : Germen oval, furrounded by a Neffa- 



rium at bottom, fig. 6 : Styles five, long and 



white : Stigmata fimple, fig. 7. 

 SEED-VESSEL a Capsule of one cavity, the mouth 



having ten teeth, fig. 8. 

 SEEDS numerous, grey and rough, fig. 9. 



THE Lychnis tribe in general produce both Stamina and Styles in the fame flower; but in th^s fpecies 

 we fee a remarkable inftance of the capricious inconftancy of nature, who feems to fpurn the fetters of fyfte- 

 matic diftinction, and laughs at mans attempt of fubje£ting her to particular rules ; for here the Stamina and 

 Styles grow on feparate plants ; yet they are placed by Linnaeus in his Clafs Decandria. What could he have 

 done in this cafe ? had he placed it under Monoecia, he would have feparated plants evidently of the fame genus : 

 ftill, however, it may be faid, he would have made the inveftigation of the plant eafier to the botanic ftudent ; 

 nor would it have been the only inftance where plants nearly fimilar are difunited, as in the Anthoxanthum and 

 Hokus, which evidently belong to the Graffes, yet are in feparate Claries. 



Exclufive of this fingular variation with regard to the fex, there is a no lefs remarkable difference with 

 refpect. to the colour of the flowers in different plants ; fome being conftantly white and others as conftantly 

 red :' this with fome other circumftances relative to the two plants, has led me to fufpecl that they are not varie- 

 ties but diftinct. fpecies : cultivation and farther attention to them, will enable me to fpeak of this with more certainty. 



The red fort here figured, grows in great abundance in moift fhady ditches and by the fides of hedges, 

 and fometimes in woods. It flowers in May and June. 



Both the white and red are cultivated when double, and called by the Gardeners about town Batchelors 

 Buttons, a name which feems with more propriety to belong to fome of the double flowering Crowfoots, as 

 the Ranunculus acris and aconitifiolius. 



The Aurelians, or thofe who collect Infects of the Moth and Butterfly kind, frequently catch the Sphinx porcellus, 

 or fimall Elephant Hawk Moth, on the flowers of this plant in the evening, and where it grows in abundance. 



The feeds are liable to be eaten within the feed-veffel, in July and Auguft, by a Caterpillar which produces a 

 browni/Jj coloured Moth, not figured, nor I believe hitherto noticed by any Entomologift. 



