j f i [ 10 8 1 ]
S I L E N E acaulis.
M ofs Campion.
DEC AND R1A Tngynia.
G en . Char. Cal. fwelling, of one leaf. Petals 5,
with claws. Cap/, fuperior, imperfectly 3-celled,
burfting at the fummit, Seeds many.
Spec. Char. Leaves linear, ciliated at the bafe.
Stalks folitary, Angle-flowered. Petals crowned.
Sy n . Silene acaulis. Linn. Sp. P I. 603. Sm. F I. B rit.
4 7 2 . Light/. 2 2 7 . t. 12 . ƒ. I. With. 4 16 .
Hull. 98. D ick/. H. S icc.fafc. 1 . 8 .
Cucubalus acaulis. H ud/. 18 7 .
Lychnis alpina minima. R ail Syn. 3 4 1 .
A N A T IV E of the higher parts of the moft alpine mourr~
tains of Britain, where its elegant blofloms appear in June and
July, and its ripe capfules in Auguft. Our fpecimens were
collected on Snowdon, July 12th laft, by Mr. D. Turner. We
have been favoured with others from feveral friends in Scotland.
The root is perennial, running deep into the fiffures of rocks,
and branching at its crown into many fliort, leafy, proftrate,
fubdivided Items, which form thick molly tufts. Leaves
crowded, fpreading, linear,, acute, more or lefs ciliated, efpe-
cially towards their bafe, which is extended into a fheathing,
dilated foot-ftalk; their colour is a bright green. From the
fummit of each ihort branch of the Hem arifes one elegant
rofe-coloured flower, on a Ample, fmooth, naked ftalk, which
is at flrft very fliort, but as the fruit ripens becomes often an
inch and half long. The calyx is moftly purple in the upper
part. Petals flightly notched, minutely crowned at their bafe,
as we have often had an opportunity of obferving. Capfule
cylindrical, lengthened out as it ripens, as in the genus
Cerajlium.
From the above defcription it appears that the term acaulis
is not ftrifitly applicable to this plant, but rather alludes to its
appearance at flrft fight.