106 



THE PINK FAMILY. 



white, in dense corymbs or heads at the 

 summit of the stems, surrounded by small 

 lanceolate floral leaves or bracts. Calyx 

 tubular, about 9 or 10 lines long. Petals 

 obcordate. 



On banks, roadsides, and waste places, 

 throughout central and southern Europe 

 and western Asia. Abundant in some 

 parts of England, Ireland, and southern 

 Scotland, about villages and habitations, 

 probably introduced from cultivation, 

 but perhaps really native on the coasts 

 of Cornwall and Devon. Fl. summer. 



Fig. 130. 



III. SILENE. SILENE. 



Calyx, corolla, and stamens of LycJinis. Styles 3. Capsules opening 

 at the top in 6 teeth or short valves. 



A very numerous genus, widely spread over Europe, Russian and 

 central Asia, and North America, with a few south African species. 

 It is very artificially distinguished from Saponaria and LycJinis by the 

 number of styles, and the popular names of Catclifly and Campion each 

 include species of both Silene and LycJinis. It has been proposed to 

 abandon the character derived from the styles, and to distinguish these 

 two genera by the number of the teeth or valves of the capsule, the 

 same as that of the styles in LycJinis, twice as many in Silene, thus 

 transferring the red and white Lychnises to Silene, but this would 

 scarcely render the genera less artificial. 



Calyx glabrous. Leaves glabrous or slightly downy. 



Moss-like alpine plant, with very short tufted stems . . 1. Dwarf S. 

 Stem elongated. 



Calyx much inflated after flowering, ovoid or globular . 2. Madder S. , 

 Calyx short, not inflated. Flowers numerous, small . . 3. Spanish S. 

 Calyx and foliage downy or hairy. 

 Perennials. 



Calyx short. Flowers small, numerous, in opposite 



bunches or whorls . 3. Spanish S. 



Calyx tubular. Flowers rather large, nodding, on op- 

 posite peduncles, forming loose panicles .... 4. Nodding S. 



