CUTIIEA SILENOI'DES. 
CATCHPLY CUPHEA. 
Class. Order . 
DODECANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
LVTHRACE JE % 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Introduced 
Mexico. 
i foot. 
September. 
Annual. 
in 1845. 
No. 1159. 
The crooked capsule or seed vessel, alluded to in 
the name of this plant, is a character which will be 
evident on the slightest examination ; and may tend 
to remind the young botanist of the Greek word 
cuphos, a curve. The specific name silenoides, or 
silene-like, is a name chosen from its resemblance 
to Silene quinquevulnera. 
Cuphea silenoides must be looked on as a desir- 
able annual, although its colour is not brilliant. 
What it lacks in the brilliance, it makes up in the 
abundance, of its flowers, which are produced dur- 
ing the two or three latter months of summer. 
This plant first became known to Europe through 
the gardens of Silesia, having been there received 
from its native country, Mexico. It is, doubtless, 
an important feature of botany, and one most pleas- 
ing to contemplate, that its pursuit brings men of 
kindred minds — of all nations — of all creeds, into 
closer ties of brotherhood. Nationalities interfere 
not, and each gives to each, the pleasure being 
equal to him that contributes and him that receives. 
Naturalists are, indeed, peculiarly dependent on 
each other for accessions to their stock of know- 
