Silene is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae. Containing nearly 900 species, it is the largest genus in the family. Common names include campion and catchfly. Many Silene species are widely distributed, particularly in the northern hemisphere.
Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactaceae, and Polygonaceae. It is a large family, with 81 genera and about 2,625 known species.
Saponaria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Asia and Europe, and are commonly known as soapworts. They are herbaceous perennials and annuals, some with woody bases. The flowers are abundant, five-petalled and usually in shades of pink or white. The genus is closely related to Lychnis and Silene, being distinguished from these by having only two styles in the flower. It is also related to Gypsophila, but its calyx is cylindrical rather than bell-shaped.
Silene chalcedonica, the Maltese-cross or scarlet lychnis, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to central and eastern Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and northwestern China. Other common names include flower of Bristol, Jerusalem cross and nonesuch.
Silene virginica, the fire pink, is a wildflower in the pink family, Caryophyllaceae. It is known for its distinct brilliant red flowers. Fire pink begins blooming in late spring and continuing throughout the summer. It is sometimes grown in wildflower, shade, and rock gardens.
Silene dioica, known as red campion and red catchfly, is a herbaceous flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native throughout central, western and northern Europe, and locally in southern Europe. It has been introduced in Iceland, Canada, the US, and Argentina.
Silene vulgaris, the bladder campion or maidenstears, is a plant species of the genus Silene of the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native to Europe, where in some parts it is eaten, but is also widespread in North America, where it is a common wildflower in meadows, open woods, and fields.
Silene caucasica is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native to Transcaucasia and Turkey.
Silene samojedorum is a flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae.
Silene otites, called Spanish catchfly, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Silene, native to Europe and the Transcaucasus area, and introduced to Xinjiang in China. It varies its floral odors to attract mosquitoes and moths at night and flies and bees by day. It is dioecious, with separate male and female plants.
Silene pendula, called the nodding catchfly or drooping catchfly, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Silene, native to Italy, Greece, and Turkey, and introduced to scattered locations in North America, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia. A number of cultivars are available. A 2020 study showed with certainty that, despite their morphological similarities, Silene cisplatensis is not synonymous with Silene pendula.
Silene indica, the Indian campion, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to northern Pakistan, the Himalayas, and southern Tibet. It typically grows at elevations of 2,300 to 3,900 m.
Silene tibetica is a species of plant which is a member of the family Caryophyllaceae. The species can be found in Tibet.
Silene andicola is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae.
Silene disticha is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. The species is hermaphroditic and is native to Algeria, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and Tunisia.
Silene zawadzkii is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae.
Silene tamaranae is a species of plant in the Caryophyllaceae family.
Silene sytnikii is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Ukraine. Known from only a few locales along the Southern Bug river, it is very similar to Silene frivaldskyana.
Silene acutifolia is a species of herb native to northwest Spain as well as central and northern Portugal. The species is polycarpic and usually grows in rocky environments.
Silene cognata, the orange campion or orange catchfly, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to eastern and northern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Primorsky Krai in Russia. In the wild it is found in a wide variety of habitats, from 500 to 2000 m above sea level. It is occasionally available from commercial suppliers, usually under its synonym Lychnis cognata. In Korea its leaves are harvested in the wild and sold in local markets as a food.
