Lychnis dioica flore rubro. Red Campion. 
LYCHNIS Limai Gen. PI. Decandkia Pentagykia. 
hrec fpecies vero dioica eft. 
Cal. i -phyllus, oblongus, lsvis. Petala 5 ungmculata. Limbo fubbifidcr. 
Caps. 5-locularis. 
Ran Syn. Gen. 24. Herb® pentapetal® vasculifer®. 
LYCHNIS dioica floribus dioicis. Unmet Syjl. Vegetab. p. 362. FI. Suecic. p. 156. Sp. PI. p. 626. 
LYCHNIS floribus fexu diftindis. Haller, hift. n. 923. 
LYCHNIS dioica. Scopoli FI. Carniol. n. 530. 
LYCHNIS fylveftris five aquatica purpurea fimplex. Bauhin pin. 204. 
LYCHNIS fylveftris flore rubro. Parkinfon. 631. 
LYCHNIS fylveftris rubello flore. Gerard emac. 469. Rail Syn. 339, Red Flowered Wild Campion. 
Hudfon FI. Angl. 174. 
RADIX perennis, minimi digiti craflitudine, alba, fa- | 
pore fubacri et amaro, fibris multis donato. * 
t 
CAULES ex una radice plures, eredi, pedales, aut tri- | 
pedales etiam, teretes, hirfuti, geniculati, pur- f 
purei, geniculis incraflatis, ramofi, ramis fu- | 
perioribus dichotomis. _ _ ; : 
FOLIA oppofita, connata, ovato-acuminata, hirfuta, • 
fubnervofa. I 
CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, tubulofum, . ; 
hirfutum, ftriatum, purpureum, quinqueden- : 
tatum, perfiftens, jig. 1; in feminea turgidior, , 
fg. 2. _ ;; 
COROLLiV : Petala quinque obcordata, purpurea, ; 
patentia, fg. 3 ; ad bafin laminas, unguiculas : 
obtulie, bifidas aut quadrifidae, fg. 4. ; ; 
STAMINA: Filamenta decem fubulata, alba, quo- 
rum quinque longiora : Anther.® flavefcentes, 
fg. 5. 
PISTILLUM: Germen ovatum: NeElario ad bafin 
cindum, fg. 6: Styli quinque longi : albi: 
villofi : Stigmata fimplicia, fg. 7. 
PERICARPIUM : Capsula unilocularis, ore decem- 
dentato, fg. 8. 
SEMINA plurima, cana, fcabriufcula, fg. 9. 
ROOT perennial, the thicknefs of the little finger, 
white, of a {lightly acrid and bitter tafte, furr 
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 
{lightly nervous. 
CALYX : a Perianthium of one leaf, tubular, hairy, 
ftriated, purple, having five teeth, and con- 
tinuing, fg. 1 ; in the female more turgid, 
fg . 2. 
COROLLA : five purplifhheart-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, 
fg. 4. 
STAMINA : ten white tapering Fit aments, of which 
five are longer than the others: Anther® 
yellowilh, fg. 5. 
PISTILLUM : Germen oval, furrounded by a NeSla- 
riurn at bottom, fg. 6: Styles five, long and 
white: Stigmata fimple, fg. 7. 
SEED-VESSEL a Capsule of one cavity, the mouth 
having ten teeth, fg. 8. 
SEEDS numerous, grey and rough, fg. 9. 
THE Lychnis tribe in general produce both Stamina and Styles in the fame flower; but in this fpecies 
we fee a remarkable inftance of the capricious inconftancy of nature, who feems to fpurn the fetters of lyfte- 
matic diftindion, and laughs at mans attempt of fubjeding her to particular rules ; for here the Stamina and 
Styles grow on feparate plants ; yet they are placed by Linn®us in his Clafs Becandria. What could he have 
done in this cafe ? had he placed it under Monoecia , he would have feparated plants evidently of the lame genus : 
ftill, however, it may be faid, he would have made the inveftigation of the plant eafier to the botanic ftudent ; 
n0 r’ would it’ have been the only inftance where plants nearly fimilar are difunited, as in the Anthoxanthum and 
Holeus, which evidently belong to the Grafles, yet are in feparate Clafles. 
Exclufive of this Angular variation with regard to the fex, there is a no lefs remarkable difference with 
refped 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 fufped that they are not varie- 
ties but diftind 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 jp moift ftiady ditches and by the fides of hedges, 
and lometimes 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 aconitifolius. 
The Aurelians, or thofe who colled Infeds of the Moth and Butterfly kind, frequently catch the Sphinx porcellus, 
or f mall Elephant Hawk Moth, on the flowers of this plant in the evening, and where it grows in abundance. 
The iceds are liable to be eaten within the feed-veffel, in July and Auguft, by a Caterpillar which produces a 
brown jh coloured Moth, not figured, nor I believe hitherto noticed by any Entomologift. 
