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S I L E N E quinquevulnera.
Variegated Catchjly.
D E C A N D R I A Trigynta.
Gen. Char. Cal. fwelling. Petals five, furnifhed with
claws, and with a crown at the mouth. Capf. three-
celled.
Spec. Char. Flowers folitary, lateral, alternate; limb
of the petals roundilh and entire. Fruit ereft.
Syn. Silene quinquevulnera. Linn. Sp. PL 595. HudJ.
FI. An. 18 8 . With. Bot. Arr. 449.
M r . H u d fo n is o u r au th o rity For co nfide ring th is pre tty
p la n t as o f B ritifh g row th , h av in g m en tio n ed it in his 2d edition
o f F lo ra A n g lic a as a n a tive o f fandy fields a b o u t W ro th am in
K e n t. I t is commonly cu ltiv a ted in flowe r-ga rdens, and may
freq u e n tly b e - fo u n d almoft n a tu ra liz ed on he ap s o f rubbifh
a n d o th e r fu c h places.
F rom a fmall fibrous a n n u a l ro o t arife feveral flaccid fpread-
in g item s, ro u n d , h a iry , an d a little vifcid, as are alfo th e leaves,
th o u g h ve ry flightly fo. N um e ro u s flowers fp rin g in an altern
a te o rd e r from th e bofoms o f th e u p p e r leaves, e re c t, o r but
little d iv arica ted , even w h e n th e f ru it is rip e. T h e petals are
rem a rk ab le fo r th e deep re d fp o t in th e ir c en tre like a drop of
b lo o d , as i f th e flower h a d re ce iv ed five w o u n d s, w hence the
n am e quinquevulnera.
I t co n tin u e s in flower from J u n e till th e en d o f A u g u ft, and
p ro d u c e s g re a t p le n ty o f feeds.
S ilen e anglica is fometime s fo u n d w ith pale red d ilh fpots oh
its p e ta ls ; b u t its fpecific c h a ra c te r, g re a te r degree o f vifcofity,
a n d p a le r co lo u r o f all its p a rts , d iftin g u ifh it from th is fpecies.