VISCARIA oculata. 
Dark-eyed Viscaria. 
DECANDRIA PENT A G YNIA . 
Nat. ord. Sieenace^e. (Caryophylle^e). 
VISCARIA, R'ohl. Calyx ebracteolatus, oblongus, clavatus v. turbi- 
nato-campanulatus, teres y. quinquedentatus. Corolla petala 5, carpopbori 
brevis v. elongati apici bypogyne inserta, unguibus linearibus, laminis bifidis, 
excisis v. subintegris, basi nudis. Stamina 10, cum petalis inserta ; filamenta 
filiformia ; anther a biloculares, longitudinaliter dehiscentes. Ovarium basi 
quinque-rarissime triquadriloculare, septis circa medium 5, apicem columelbe 
centralis sensim deliquescentibus superne uniloculare. Oxrula plurima, co- 
lumellae centrali cum septis connatse v. superne liberse funiculis distinctis 
inserta, ampbitropa. Styli 5, rarissime 3 v. 4, filiformes, intus stigmatosi. 
Capsula basi quinque, rarius tri-quadrilocularis, apice inter stylos simplici 
eorundem numero in dentes debiscens. Semina plui’ima, minuta, reniformia, 
granulata v. tuberculata. Embryo annularis, albumen farinaceum cingens ; 
cotyledonibus incumbentibus. Herbrn Europece et arcticce amphigea, annua v. 
perennes, erecta ; foliis oppositis, linearibus v. lanceolatis ; floribus in dicho- 
tomiis ramorum alaribus v. in cymulas thyrsoideo v. subumbellatim confertas 
congestis, roseis v. purpureis. Endl. Genera, 5249. 
§. Eudianthe, Rchb. Calycis fructiferi tubus angulatus, transversim 
rugosus, lacinise elongatee. 
V . oculata ; calycis tubo abrupte constricto, petalorum appendicibus brevibus 
emarginatis, capsula granulata ovata. 
Lychnis oculata. Jas. Backhouse in litt. 
This plant is so like the old hardy annual called Agro- 
sternraa Cceli rosa, that for some time we regarded it as a mere 
variety. But upon a more minute examination tve find marks 
of difference that seem to belong to a species. In the first 
place it has a dark eye, which the old kind has not. Then 
its petals have a short and slightly emarginate appendage, and 
not a long bifid one. In the form of the calyx there is this 
difference, that in the plant before us it contracts suddenly 
about the middle, while in Cceli rosa it narrows very gradu- 
ally. Furthermore, the surface of the seed-vessel here is 
rough with fine granulations, but in Cceli rosa is smooth. It 
