Silene
(said to be derived from sialon, saliva; alluding to the viscid exudation on the stems and calyces of many of the species; the English name Catchfly alludes to the same peculiarity). Campion; Catchfly. ORD. Caryophylleae. A very large genus (400 have been described as species, but, according to Bentham and Hooker, few more than 200 are entitled to specific rank) of greenhouse or hardy, erect, tufted, decumbent, or diffuse-climbing, annual, biennial, or perennial herbs; they are mostly natives of South Europe, North Africa, and extra-tropical Asia, about a dozen are South African, scarcely eighteen are found in North America, and eight are included in the British Flora. Flowers solitary or variously cymose, often in unilateral spikes, forming a terminal thyrse or panicle; calyx variously tubular, five-toothed or five-cleft, usually ten-nerved; petals five, with a narrow claw and an entire, bifid, or rarely laciniate lamina, often having two scales at base; stamens ten; disk usually columnar. Leaves opposite, entire. Amongst Silenes there are a few beautiful subjects for planting on rockwork, and in the open border, and none are difficult to cultivate. They succeed in almost any light, loamy soil, and may be readily propagated by one or more of the following methods-seeds, cuttings, or divisions. S. pendula, and its compact variety, are plants grown extensively for spring flower gardening, a purpose for which they are admirably adapted. The seed should be sown early in the previous autumn. The species best-known to cultivation are described below. All are hardy, except where otherwise indicated.
S. acaulis (stemless).* Cushion Pink; Moss Campion, fl. pink, rarely white, 1/2in. in diameter; calyx tubular, with obtuse teeth; petals notched. June to August. l. 1/4in. to 1/2in. long, linear-subulate, close-set, channelled above, keeled below, ciliated. h. 2in. Europe (Britain), &c. A densely-tufted perennial. (A. F. P. 79; L. B. C. 568; Sy. En. B. 205.) alba is a white-flowered form.
S. alpestris (alpine).* fl. white, shining, rather large, panicled; calyx campanulately-clavate; petals with a four-toothed border and two-parted appendages. May to July. l. almost all radical, lanceolate, rather blunt. Stem simple, few-leaved. h. 6in. Austrian Alps, 1774. Perennial. (S. B. F. G. 111.) S. anglica (English). fl. in leafy, racemose cymes; calyx 1/2in. long, membranous, with pubescent ribs, the teeth setaceous; petals and scales small, entire or slightly bifid. June to October. l. variable; lower ones spathulate. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Europe (Britain), &c. An erect or diffusely-branched annual. S. gallica is a form with white or pink flowers and bifid petals; S. quinque-vulnera, another variety, has entire, white petals with a red spot. (Sy. En. B. 202.)
S. Armeria (Armeria). Sweetwilliam Catchfly. fl. pink, in corymbose panicles; calyx long, clavate; petals obcordate, crowned. July to September. l. ovate-lanceolate, rather cordate at base. Stem branched. h. 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. France and Switzerland (naturalised in Britain). A smooth annual. (Sy. En. B. 204.)
S. Atocion (Atocion).* fl. pink, in fastigiate, trichotomous panicles; calyx long, clavate; petals obcordate, obtuse, with an acute tooth on each side at the base, crowned by two protuberances. June and July. l. roundish-obovate; lower ones on long footstalks; uppermost ones sessile. h. 6in. to 12in. Stem branched, pubescent. Levant, 1781. Annual.
S. chloraefolia (Chlora-leaved). fl. white, turning reddish as they fade, large, in a terminal panicle; calyx long, striped; petals cloven half-way down, with a two-lobed crest. August and September. l. elliptical, pointed; upper ones rather cordate. Stems branched. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Armenia, 1796. A smooth perennial. (B. M. 807; B. R. 1989; S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 263.)
S. compacta (compact). fl. pink, crowded into dense corymbs; calyx very long, clavate; petals oboval, entire, crowned; bracts narrow, shorter than the pedicels. July. l. ovate-cordate, sessile; two large ones, like an involucre, near the corymb, appearing as if they were connate. Stem erect, branched. h. 1 1/2ft. Russia, 1823. A glabrous, glaucous biennial.(L. B. C. 1638; S. B. F. G. 64.) S. Elizabethae (Elizabethan).* fl. 1 1/2in. in diameter; calyx margined with purple; petals bright rose-colour, the claws white below, the blade cuneate-flabellate, emarginate; panicle terminal, dichotomous. July. l. lanceolate, acute, spreading; lower ones 2in. to 3in. long, becoming gradually smaller upwards. Stems tufted, erect or ascending, and, as well as the leaves, viscid-pubescent. h. 9in. or more. Italy, 1863. Perennial. (B. M. 5400; R. G. 1009, 2.)
S. fimbriata (fringed-petaled). fl. white, in large, spreading panicles; calyx greatly inflated, with broad teeth; petals fringed, incurved after flowering. May to August. l. large, ovate-lanceolate, undulated, on long footstalks. h. 2ft. to 4ft. Caucasus, 1803. A pubescent perennial. (B. M. 908.)
S. gallica (French). A variety of S. anglica.
S. Hookeri (Hooker's).* fl. 2in. to 2 1/2in. in diameter, solitary in the axils, or sometimes obscurely cymose; calyx 1in. long; petals pale pink, 2in. long, the lobes very variable, narrow or broad, equal, or the outer ones smaller or reduced to teeth, the two parallel white ridges on the claw terminating in white teeth at the blade. May. l. 2in. to 3in. long; lower ones elliptic-spathulate, narrowed into long petioles; the rest elliptic-lanceolate, acute or acuminate; all pubescent. Stems many, decumbent. California, 1873. Perennial. (B. M. 6051; F. d. S. 2093.)
S. inflata (swollen). Bladder Campion or Catchfly; Cow Bell; White Ben. fl. white, 3/4in. in diameter, drooping; petals deeply cloven; panicle many-flowered. June to August. fr., capsule globose. l. 1in. to 3in. long, variable, ovate, obovate, or oblong. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Europe (Britain), &c. A branched, glaucous, glabrous, or downy perennial. This species may be used as a substitute for asparagus or green peas, the young shoots having the flavour of both. (Sy. En. B. 199.) puberula is a rarer form, with downy leaves.
S. lacera (torn-petaled). fl. white; calyx much inflated; petals jagged, with the appendages two-parted. May to August. l. ovate-lanceolate, undulated, on long footstalks. Caucasus, 1818. A procumbent, hispid biennial. (B. M. 2255.) S. laciniata (jagged-petaled). fl. crimson, with a white, two-parted crest, very large, terminal, rather drooping; calyx cylindrically ventricose; petals somewhat four-cleft; peduncles one-flowered. June and July. l. large, lanceolate, acute. Stem erect, branched. h. 3ft. to 4ft. Mexico and California, 1823. A half-hardy, pubescent perennial. (B. R. 1444; P. M. B. 267.)
S. livida (livid). fl. livid-green on the under surface, white above, panicled, drooping to one side; petals two-cleft, crowned. June and July. l. oblong-lanceolate. Stem flexuous, infracted. h. 1ft. Carniola, 1816. A pubescent perennial.
S. maritima (maritime).* fl. white; petals shortly cleft, the segments broad, with two scales at the base. June to August. Europe (Britain). A diffuse perennial. Otherwise resembling S. inflata. (Sy. En. B. 200.) flore-pleno is a garden form, with double flowers.
S. noctiflora (night-flowering). fl. erect, few; calyx narrow, 1in. long; petals rosy within, yellow outside, two-cleft. July and August. l. 3in. to 4in. long, oblong-lanceolate, acute, the lower ones petioled. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Europe (Britain), &c. An erect, simple or dichotomous, softly pubescent annual, viscid above. The flowers open at night, and are very fragrant. (Sy. En. B. 209.)
S. nutans (nodding). Nottingham Catchfly. fl. white or pink, in panicled or sub-racemose cymes, drooping, fragrant at night; calyx purple-nerve, with acute teeth; petals two-parted, the segments diverging. May to July. l., radical ones oblong-lanceolate, 2in. to 5in. long, tufted, petioled; cauline ones small, narrow, sessile. Stem viscid above. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Europe (Britain), &c. A pubescent perennial, with a woody rootstock. (Sy. En. B. 207.) SYN. S. paradoxa.
S. ornata (ornamented). fl. dark purple, panicled; calyx cylindrical, with alternate stripes and veins; petals two-parted, with broad, crowned lobes. May to September. l. lanceolate, rather blunt. Stems erect, branched. h. 2ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1775. A pubescent, greenhouse biennial. (B. M. 382.)
S. paradoxa (paradoxical). A synonym of S. nutans.
S. pendula (pendulous-flowered).* fl. flesh-coloured, axillary, pendulous; calyx inflated; petals bifid, crowned. May to August. l. ovate-lanceolate. Italy, &c., 1731. A pubescent, branched, trailing annual. (B. M. 114.)
S. p. compacta (compact).* A very dwarf, compact variety, forming dense cushions, 2in. to 3in. high and 9in. to 12in. in diameter, entirely covered with bright pink flowers. This is a charming plant, extensively used for spring bedding. (F. M. n. s. 84.)
S. pennsylvanica (Pennsylvanian).* American Wild Pink. fl. pink, clustered, short-stalked; calyx club-shaped; petals cuneiform, slightly notched and erose. April to June. l., radical ones narrowly spathulate, nearly glabrous, tapering into hairy petioles; cauline ones two or three pairs, lanceolate. Stems 4in. to 8in. high. North America, 1806. A pubescent perennial. (B. R. 247; L. B. C. 41.)
S. picta (painted). fl. pink, loosely panicled; calyx clavate, striped with red; petals reticulated with red nerves and veins. June to August. l., lower ones obovate-spathulate; upper ones linear, acute. Stems much-branched, scarcely pubescent. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Asia Minor and Syria, 1817. A beautiful, Rush-like annual. (S. B. F. G. 92.)
S. quinquevulnera (five-spotted). A variety of S. anglica. S. regia. Royal Catchfly. fl. deep scarlet, numerous, short-stalked, in clusters, forming a strict panicle; petals spathulate-lanceolate, mostly undivided. July. l. rather thick, ovate-lanceolate, acute. Stem roughish, erect, 3ft. to 4ft. high. Southern United States, 1811. A pubescent perennial. (B. M. 1724; S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 313.)
S. Saxifraga (Saxifrage).* fl. terminal, solitary, rarely axillary; calyx clavate; petals yellowish on the upper surface, reddish-brown beneath; peduncles very long. June to August. l. linear, acute. h. 3in. to 6in. South Europe, &c., 1640. A smooth, rather viscid, tufted perennial. (L. B. C. 454.)
S. Schafta (Schafta).* fl. purple, erect; calyx more than 1in. long, clavate; petals cuneate, denticulate; peduncles bearing one or two flowers. June to October. l. obovate, acute. Stems many, very simple, ascending; root woody. h. not more than 6in. Persia, 1844. A beautiful little perennial; the branches gradually become covered with blossoms. (B. R. 1846, 20; J. H. S. i. 69.)
S. speciosa (showy). fl. scarlet, axillary or terminal, paniculate; calyx elongated-tubular, villous; petals five, oblong, spreading, four-parted, the middle segments much longer, the lateral ones reduced to teeth. June. l. opposite, sessile, lanceolate, somewhat obtuse. h. 1ft. 1843. A villous, greenhouse perennial; probably a hybrid. (F. d. S. ii. 8; P. M. B. x. 219.)
S. supina (supine). fl. white, on short, alternate pedicels; calyx long, cylindrically clavate, tomentose; petals with long claws, bifid, crowned. June to August. l. linear, acute. Stems woody, procumbent, branched. Caucasus, 1804. A tufted, clammy-pubescent perennial. (B. M. 1997.)
S. vespertina (evening). fl. rose-coloured, in secund racemes; calyx bladdery-clavate; petals two-parted, the lobes obtuse. June and July. l. spathulate, acute, on ciliated petioles. Stems branched, diffuse or decumbent. h. 1ft. Greece, &c., 1796. A beautiful, pubescent annual. (B. M. 677; S. B. F. G. 58; S. F. G. 409.) S. virginica (Virginian).* Fire Pink. fl. deep crimson, few, and loosely cymose, peduncled; calyx oblong-cylindrical, soon obconical; petals oblong, two-cleft. June to August. l. thin, spathulate, or the upper ones oblong-lanceolate. Stems slender, 1ft. to 2ft. high. North America, 1783. A pubescent perennial. (B. M. 3342; R. G. 1116.)