BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
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I.—THE CATCHFLY TRIBE. 
Sepals united into a cylindrical tube. 
GENUS I. 
THE PINK AND CARNATION. (Dianthus, Lin.) 
Lin. Syst. DECANDRIA DIGYNIA. 
Generic Character. —Calyx tubular, five-toothed, with from two compressed, convex on one side, concave on the other, peltate, 
to four opposite imbricated scales at the base. Petals five, with long Embryo nearly straight. (Dec.) 
claws. Stamens ten. Stigmata two. Capsule one-celled. Seeds 
Description, &c. —The plants contained in this well-known genus are almost always herbaceous, and they 
have all jointed stems, with opposite, entire, connate leaves, that is, leaves that are joined together and enfold 
the joint of the stem. The flowers are generally pink, or some other shade of red. The name of Dianthus, 
signifies literally, divine flower; and it is given to this genus on account of the beauty and fragrance of the 
Carnation. The Linntean class is Decandria, from the ten stamens ; and the order is Digynia, from the seed- 
vessels having two styles. 
1.—THE WILD CARNATION. (Dianthus Caryopiiyllus, Lin.) 
Synonymes.—D. arenarius, Hudson; the Clove Gillyflower; the I in PL 17. 
Clove Pink. I Specific Character. —Flowers solitary. Bractese almost rhomboid, 
Engravings. —Eng. Bot., t. 214 ; 2nd ed., t. 616 ; and our fig. 2, I very short. Petals notched, beardless. ( Lindley.) 
Description, &c. —This species, which is exceedingly abundant on the walls of Rochester Castle, and which 
grows on the half-ruined walls of old castles in almost every part of England, is supposed to be the origin of all 
the beautiful Carnations in our gardens. In its wild state, it is a dwarf perennial, with long fibrous roots, 
penetrating deeply into the mortar, and producing its single, pale pink flowers in July. The fragrance, 
however, of the wild flower is quite as delightful as that of the finest varieties; and the name of Caryopiiyllus 
alludes to the clove-like scent of the flowers. The word Carnation is supposed by some to be derived from 
carnosus , fleshy, and to allude to the delicate flesh-colour the flowers have when in a wild state. The name of 
Pink is said to be derived from the Dutch word for an eye ; and the French name for both the Carnation and 
the Pink, which is CEillet, has the same meaning. Some botanists suppose that the word Carnation is a 
corruption of Coronation, which was the old name for what we now call the Carnation; as Sops in Wine was 
for the Pink, in allusion to the flowers being sometimes put into wine, in order to give it a perfumed flavour. 
Spenser uses both words in the following lines :— 
“ Bring hither the pink and purple Columbine, 
With Gillyflowers ; 
Bring Coronations and Sops in Wine, 
Worn by Paramours.” 
Chaucer also says— 
“ And many a clove Gillyflower 
To put in ale, 
Whether it be fresh or stale.” 
The flowers are still used, boiled with sugar, to make a kind of syrup, which, when added to gin, whiskey, or 
spirits of wine, makes a liqueur. Shakspeare says :— 
“ The fairest flowers o’ the season 
Are our Carnations and streak’d Gillyflowers.” 
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