CHEIRANTHUS, in botany, a genus of the Tetradynamia Siliquosa class and order. Natural order of Siliquosa pruci formes. Essential character : germ with a glandulous toothlet on each side ; calyx closed, with two leaflets, gibbous at the base ; seeds flat. There are twenty-two species, of which C. cheiri, common wall flower, is about a foot high, with a woody stem ; on walls it is seldom more than eight inches, with very tough roots and firm stalks ; the leaves short and sharp pointed ; the flowers are well known, being one of those which have been culti vated for their fragrancy time immemo rial in our gardens. C. incanus, stock gilliflower, is nearly the same height, shrubby, with spear-shaped leaves, which are frequently waved on their edges, and turn downward at the extremity ; the side branches are each terminated by a loose spike of flowers, each having a woolly calyx, and four large roundish pe tals, indented at the end. These usually
appear in May and June. The flowers of this sort vary in their colour ; some are pale, and others of a deep red ; the latter are generally most esteemed. If the seed be well chosen, frequently three parts in four of the plants will be doubled. C. an num, annual stock gilliflower, or ten week stock, is two feet high, with a round, smooth, stalk, dividing into many branches at top. The flowers arepro duced in loose spikes at the ends of thc branches, and are placed alternately ; the calyx is large, erect, and slightly cut into several acute parts at the top ; the petals are large and heart-shaped. Of this sort there are, the red, purple, white, and striped ; which are great ornaments in the borders of the flower garden in au tumn. •