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LYCHNJSCHALCEDONICA. SCARLET LYCHNIS,
Clqfs and Order.
PECANPRIA PENTAGYNIA,
Generic Character.
(fol, i-phyllus, ohlongus, l?evis, fetala /j-unguiculata.
fub-bifido. Caff. 5-locularis,
Specific Charafter and Synonyms*
LYCHNIS chalcedonica floribus fafciculatis faftigiatis. Linn,
Syft. Vegetab, ed< 14. Murv. f. 435. Ait. K&»«
V. 2 . p. l 6.
LYCHNIS hirfuta flore coccineo major, Baub. fin. 203,
FLOS Conftantinopolitanus. Dod. Pempt. 1 78.
LYCHNIS cbalcedomca flore fimplici miniato. Single Nonfuch,
or Flower of Briftow or Constantinople, Parking
favad. 2 53.
The Scarlet Lychnis appears to have been a great favourite
with PARJUNSON, he calls it a glorious flower, and in a
wooden print of him prefixed to his Pflradifus Terreftris, we
fee him reprefented with a flower of this fort, in his hand of
the double kind.
It grows fpontaneoufly in moft parts of Ruflia, and is one
of our moft hardy perennials.
The extreme brilliancy of its flowers renders it a plant, in
its fingle ftate highly ornamental; when double, its beauty is
heightened, and the duration of it increafed..
It flowers in June and July.
The fingle fort may be increafed by parting its roots in
aiUumn, but more abundantly by feeds, which fhould be fown
>n the fpring; the double fort may alfo be increafed by di-,
v>ding its roots, but more plentifully by cuttings of the ftalk,
put in in June, before the flowers make their appearance ; in
ftriking of thefe, however, there requires forne nicety.
This plant is found to fucceed beft in - a rich, loamy, foil i
and certain diftrifts have been found to be more favourable
to its growth than others.
A white and a pale red variety of it in its fingle ftate were
*ntt'.',n to CLUSIUS, and fimilar varieties of the double kind
*re laid to exift; it is qf little moment whether they do or not,
** every variation in this plant from a bright fcarlet is in every
fcnfe of the word a degeneracy.