By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 



193 



when extended cultivation leaves so few wild tracts to the botanist. 

 By floriculture its petals have been enlarged and multiplied and its 

 colours infinitely varied, but their beauties cannot be rendered 

 permanent. Nature seems to have allowed her works to bear a 

 temporary improvement only in order to create industrious habits 

 in man her most noble and finished work. 



Saponaria, (Linn.) Soapwort. 

 Linn. CI. x. Ord. ii. 



Name from sapo soap, the plant yielding a mucilaginous juice 

 which has been employed in place of that useful article. 



1. S. officinalis, (Linn.) officinal or Common Soapwort. Engl. 

 Bot. t. 1060. Reich Icones, vi. 245. Sturm's Deutschland's Flora, 6. 10. 



Locality. Roadsides, and hedge banks, especially near cottages. 

 Rare. P. Fl. July, August. Area, * 2. 3. 4. 5. 



South Division. 



2. South Middle District, " About Heytesbury," Mr. Rowden. 



3. South-west District, "Ditch banks at West Harnham,' , Major 

 Smith. "Near Flintford, Corsley," Miss Griffith. 



North Division. 



4. North-ioest District, " Chippenham not unfrequent," Dr. Alex- 

 ander Prior, and Mr. C. E. Broome. " Biddestone," Miss Ruck, 

 " Roadside at Netherstreet," Miss L. Meredith. " Derry Hill and 

 Sandy Lane," Mr. Sole, M.S. Flora. 



5. North-east District, Purton, and Lydiard Park wall near the 

 Mansion. " Great Bedwyn," Mr. Bartlett. 



This plant has much the appearance of being naturalized through- 

 out the county, being generally observed near houses or villages. 

 Stems cylindrical, about eighteen inches high, each terminating in 

 a roundish panicle of handsome blush coloured flowers, which have 

 a sweetish though scarcely agreeable scent. The double variety is 

 not uncommon in gardens. Flowers become double by the multi- 

 plication of the parts of the corolline whorl. This arises in general 

 from a metamorphosis of the stamens. It is very common in the 

 Natural orders Ranunculacece, Papaveracece, Magnoliacece, Malvaceae 

 and Rosacece, whilst it is rare in Leguminosse. The tendency to 

 vol. vii. — no. xx. s 



