By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 



195 



3. S. inflata (Sm.) inflated Catchfly, Bladder tampion. Engl. 

 Bot. t. 164. 



Locality. Gravel pits, borders of fields, and road sides. Common. 

 P. Fl. June, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. General in all the 

 Districts. 



A very frequent plant in cornfields and pastures, especially in 

 chalky and calcareous soils, Stem and leaves very glaucous, the 

 latter somewhat fleshy. Calyx beautifully veined with purple and 

 green. A variety having the stem and leaves rough, with hairs 

 and calyx downy, is sometimes met with. 



S. noctiflora, (Linn.) Night flowering Catchfly, though not as yet 

 recorded for Wilts, should be searched for in the Southern Districts. 

 So closely resembling starved plants of Lychnis vespertina (S.) 

 that it is probably overlooked. 



Lychnis, (Linn.) Campion Lychnis. 

 Linn. CI. x. Ord. iv. 



Name. From the Greek (luchnos) a lamp, in allusion to the 

 brilliancy of some of the species, e.g. " L. Chakcdonica" the scarlet 

 Lychnis of gardens. 



1. L. Flos cuculi, (Linn.) Meadow lychnis, or Ragged Robin. 

 Engl. Bot. t. 573. Reich. Icones, 5129. 



Locality. In wet places, in meadows, and in woods, frequent 

 throughout the county. P. Fl. May, June. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 



This plant is called Ragged Robin from the finely cut or ragged 

 appearance of its petals, and Cuckoo-flower, in common with several 

 other plants that blossom about the time this welcome and merry 

 messenger of spring begins its monotonous song. 



"The agreement between the blowing of flowers, and the 

 periodical return of birds of passage " says Mr. Curtis in his excel- 

 lent " Flora Londinensis " " has been attended to from the earliest 

 ages. Before the return of the seasons was exactly ascertained by 

 Astronomy, these observations were of great consequence in pointing 

 out stated times for the purposes of agriculture, and still in many 

 a cottage, the birds of passage and their corresponding flowers assist 

 in regulating the short and simple Annals of the Poor.'' 



2 s . 



