﻿( 1 * * 20 .) 



SILE'NE*. 



Linnean Class and Order. DECA'NDRiAf, Trigy'nia. 



Natural Order. Caryophy'llea:, Linn. — Juss. Gen. PI. p. 

 299. — Sra. Gram, of Bot. p. 159. — Lindl. Svn. p. 43 ; Introd. to 

 Nat. Syst. p. 156. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 507. — Loud. Hort. Brit, 

 p. 501. — Rosales, sect. Dianthin.*, Burn. Outl. of Bot. pp. 

 614 & 805. 



Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1 .) inferior, of 1 sepal, tubular, angu- 

 lar or furrowed, often ventricose, 5-toothed, naked, permanent. 

 Corolla (figs. 2 & 3.) of 5 petals, claws narrow, as long as the 

 calyx, bordered, dilated upwards, attached to the receptacle (see 

 fig. 3.), which is cylindrical, sometimes much elongated and co- 

 lumnar ; limb flat, involute in the bud, blunt, either undivided or 

 cloven, either naked at the base, or furnished with 2, simple or 

 divided, distinct or combined, upright scales (fig. 4.), which form 

 a crown at the mouth of the corolla. Filaments (figs. 3 & 4.) 10, 

 awl-shaped, 5 alternate ones attached to the petals, and rather 

 later than the rest. Anthers (see fig. 4.) oblong, or roundish. Ger- 

 man (see fig. 5.) cylindrical. Styles (see fig. 5.) 3, short, upright. 

 Stigmas oblong, oblique, downy along the upper or inner side. 

 Capsule (fig. 6.) covered by the calyx, egg-oblong, often stalked, 

 imperfectly 3-celled (see fig. 8.) opening at the top by 6 teeth. 

 Seeds numerous, kidney-shaped, stalked, roughish, attached to the 

 central column (see fig. 7.). 



The capsule of 3 incomplete cells ; the clawed petals ; and mo- 

 nosepalous calyx ; will distinguish this from other genera in the 

 same class and order. 



Eleven species British. 



SILE'NE ARME'RIA. Common Catchfly. Lobel’s Catchfly. 

 Limewort. 



Spec. Char. Panicles forked, level-topped, many-flowered. 

 Petals notched, each with a double, awl-shaped scale. Calyx 

 club-shaped, and, as well as the leaves, smooth. Leaves egg- 

 spear-shaped. Stem viscid. Capsule not longer than its stalk. 



Eng. Bot. 1. 1398. — Linn. Sp. PI. p.601. — Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 189. — 

 Sm. FI. Brit. v. ii. p. 471. Flngl. FI. v. ii. p. 296. — With. (7lh ed.) v. ii. p. 545. — 

 Lindl. Syn. p. 46. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 203. — Loud. Encycl. of Gard. p. 735. — 

 Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. & Bot. v.i. p.414. — Silene latifolia, Gray’s Nat. Arr. 

 v. ii. p. 647. — Lychnis viscosa purpurea latifolia Icevis, Dillenios, in Ray’s 

 Syn. p. 341. — Muscipula Lobelii, Johnson’s Gerarde, p. 601. 



Fig. 1. Calyx. — Fig. 2. Corolla. — Fig. 3. The same, with the Petals separated 

 to show the Stamens, &c.— Fig. 4. A separate Petal, with a Stamen attached to 

 the base of its claw. — Fig. 5. Germen and Pistils, elevated on a cylindrical re- 

 ceptacle or stalk. — Fig. 6. Capsule — Fig. 7. A verticle section of the same, to 

 show the central columnar Placenta or Receptacle of the Seeds. — Fig. 8. A 

 transverse section of the same, shewing the 3 imperfect cells. 



* Said to be derived from sialon, Gr. saliva, in allusion to the viscid moisture 

 on the stalks of many of the species, by which flies of the smaller kinds are en- 

 trapped ; hence the English name of the genus, Catchfly. Don. 

 f See Saponaria officinalis, folio 37, note f. 



