OP ORNAMENTAL ANNUALS. 
105 
CHAPTER XIX. 
SILENACE.E. 
Essential Character. —Calyx 5-toothed, 5-cleft or 5-parted, or central. Nodose articulated herbs ; leaves simple, opposite, or verticil- 
of 5 sepals. Petals 4—5, unguiculate, rarely absent. Stamens 4—5, late, rising from the nodi.—(G. Bon.) 
or 8 — 10, hypogynous. Capsule 2—5-valved, 1—5-celled; placenta 
Description, &c. —The order to which the pink and the carnation belong, cannot fail to be an interesting 
one to every grower of flowers ; and, though the annual species it contains are very inferior in beauty to the 
perennial ones, they are yet all ornamental, and all worth cultivating, either for the open border, or for rock- 
work. This order formed part of Caryopliylleae , according to Jussieu • but that order has been, by modern 
botanists, divided into Silenacece and AIsinacece ; the former comprising all the genera the flowers of which have 
clawed petals, like the pink ; and the latter those having flowers the petals of which are not clawed, like the 
chickweed. The principal genera belonging to this order that contain annual flowers, are, Silene , Saponaria , 
Gypsophila , Dianthus , and Agrostemma. 
GENUS I. 
SILENE, Lin. THE SILENE, OR CATCH-FLY. 
Lin. Syst. DECANDRIA TRIGYNIA. 
Generic Character.— Calyx tubular, 5-toothed, naked. Petals 5, I of petal-like bifid scales in the throat. Stamens 10. Styles 3. Cap- 
unguiculate, with an entire or bifid limb, usually furnished with a crown | sules 3-celled at the base, opening at the top, 6-toothed.—(G. Don.) 
Description, &c. —Nearly all the species of this genus have a viscid, frothy moisture on their stalks, in 
which it is said flies are easily entrapped, and hence their popular English name of Catch-fly. Part of the 
species are perennial, and many of them are common British weeds. All the kinds bear a very strong family 
likeness to each other; so much so indeed, that when several species are grown in the same garden, they give 
it an air of monotony. All the annual kinds are very hardy, and require but little culture, except taking care 
to sow them where they arc to remain, as they do not well bear transplanting; and sowing the seeds rather thinly, 
as they keep well, and will nearly all vegetate. None of the species have any pretensions to be called handsome, 
but they are most of them pretty. 
1.—SILENE VESPERTINA, Rets. THE EVENING SILENE. 
Synonymes. —S. bipartita, Desf .; Lychnis prostrata, Hort. 
Engravings.— Bot. Mag. t. 677, Swt. Brit. Flow. Gard. t. 11, and 
our fig. 5, in Plate 19. 
Specific Character. —Pubescent; stems branched, diffuse. Leaves 
spatulate, acute, on ciliated petioles. Racemes secund. Calyx bladdery - 
clavated. Petals 2-parted. Lobes obtuse.—(G. Don.) 
Description, &c.— This species has rose-coloured flowers, and diffuse decumbent stems ; and it is remarkable 
for the abundance and duration of its flowers. It is a native of Morocco, where it was discovered by Desfon- 
taines; but it has also been found wild in corn-fields in Portugal and Greece. It was introduced in 1796. 
On the 12tli of June last we had the pleasure of seeing the beautiful flower-garden of R. H. Jenkinson, Esq., at 
Norbiton Hall, and we were so much struck with the rich effect produced by masses of this plant on the lawns, 
that we do not hesitate strongly to recommend its culture in all similar situations. Like all the Silenes, it 
requires a warm, dry, sandy soil. 
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