APRIL. 
73 
LYCHNIS SENNO. 
WITH AN ILLUSTRATION. 
Shall we give up our flower gardens to the parterre system, and content 
ourselves merely with a few sorts of Pelargoniums and Verbenas, and such 
like things, for their decoration ? or shall we confine the parterre within 
reasonable and proper limits, and grow, besides these complementary colours, 
a succession of showy border flowers, as they are called—old-fashioned flowers 
it may be, but flowers that will, as they come in one by one, do something to 
furnish us with a bouquet throughout the year ? It has become too much the 
fashion—grand as it may be urged a parterre is when taken at its best—to 
adopt the former principle; but, if we mistake not, public opinion is setting 
in, and we think wisely so, in the opposite direction. 
We introduce the subject of our present plate as one of those hardy border 
flowers to which we have alluded, one which may help to impart some variet} 7 
to our flower gardens, and help also to furnish a bouquet almost before the 
summer beds are made up for their season. Along with some of its compeers, 
which have been known for many years amongst us, but not half so well 
or so generally known as their merits deserve (we allude especially to L. ful- 
gens and L. coronata), this Lychnis Senno belongs to the flowers which 
bear a popular stamp—being hardy, showy, and easily grown. It is a peren¬ 
nial herb, and, as hitherto seen in a cultivated state in this country, pro¬ 
duces erect hairy stems, some 2 feet or rather more in height. These stems 
bear opposite leaves, which, like the stems and calyces, are, in some of the 
plants, stained more or less deeply of a chocolate purple, this colour, in the 
case of the leaves, being chiefly confined to the under surface. Towards the 
top, where they become forked, the large flowers are produced; these are, in 
one of the varieties which has been already flowered, of a deep rich crimson, as 
shown in our upper figure; and in another are more or less streaked with white, 
as shown in the lower figure. The flowers spread out flat, and measure about 
inches across, the margins being toothed, and the calyces hairy. The plant 
received a Silver Banksian Medal when shown last summer at South Kensington. 
We are happy to introduce here the following remarks on this plant, with 
which we have been favoured by its introducer, Mr. Fortune :— 
“ Lychnis Senno (Siebold and Zuccar.) is one of the most common garden 
plants in Japan. It is a favourite with farmers and cottagers, and is very 
showy and handsome when in bloom. There are three very distinct varieties; 
one has red flowers, another has white ones, and the third has red flowers 
with white stripes. The specimens which have bloomed in England have 
given but a faint idea of the beauty of this plant; they have been wanting in 
that depth and richness of colour which they have at home. The striped 
variety is well shown in the figure as it appeared when it flowered for the 
first time in this country; but in Japan the ground colour is a deep red, while 
the stripes are of a pure white colour. When the plants are more naturally 
and slowly grown the old colours will probably return—that is, the red will 
become deeper, and the stripes of a purer white, and more clearly defined. It 
blooms in the end of May and in June. Senno is the name it is known by 
amongst the Japanese : and hence Siebold and Zuccarini have adopted this for 
the specific name in their Flora Japonica. Kcempfer and Thunberg both 
describe the plant, but, erroneously, refer it to L. coronata , which is quite a 
different thing.” 
As one of a race of handsome hardy border flowers, we commend the 
Lychnis to the notice of those who are getting tired of the monotony of the 
parterre gardening of the present day. M. 
yol. hi. E 
