Silene dioica

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Silene dioica
Bayrischer Wald 9929.JPG
Silene dioica (red campion)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Genus: Silene
Species:
S. dioica
Binomial name
Silene dioica
Synonyms [1]
List
    • Agrostemma sylvestre (Schkuhr) G.Don
    • Lychnis arvensis G.Gaertn., B.Mey. & Scherb.
    • Lychnis dioecia Mill.
    • Lychnis dioica L.
    • Lychnis dioica subsp. rubra Weigel
    • Lychnis diurna Sibth.
    • Lychnis diurna var. glaberrima Sekera
    • Lychnis preslii Sekera
    • Lychnis rosea Salisb.
    • Lychnis rubra Patze, E.Mey. & Elkan
    • Lychnis silvestris Rafn
    • Lychnis sylvestris Schkuhr
    • Lychnis vespertina Sibth.
    • Melandrium dioicum (L.) Coss. & Germ.
    • Melandrium dioicum f. glaberrimum (Sekera) D.Löve
    • Melandrium dioicum f. lacteum (Hartm.) D.Löve
    • Melandrium dioicum subsp. glaberrimum (Celak.) Soják
    • Melandrium dioicum subsp. rubrum (Weigel) D.Löve
    • Melandrium dioicum var. zetlandicum Compton
    • Melandrium diurnum Fr.
    • Melandrium preslii (Sekera) Nyman
    • Melandrium purpureum Rupr.
    • Melandrium rubrum (Weigel) Garcke
    • Melandrium stenophyllum Schur
    • Saponaria dioica (L.) Moench
    • Silene dioica f. lactea (Hartm.) Meusel & K.Werner
    • Silene dioica subsp. glaberrima (Celak.) Soják
    • Silene dioica var. glaberrima (K.Malý) Meusel & K.Werner
    • Silene dioica var. glabrescens (Schur) Meusel & K.Werner
    • Silene dioica var. glandulosa (Brügger) Kerguélen
    • Silene dioica var. pygmaea (Ser.) Meusel & K.Werner
    • Silene dioica var. serpentinicola (Rune) Ericsson
    • Silene dioica var. smithii (Rune) Ericsson
    • Silene dioica var. stenophylla (Schur) Meusel & K.Werner
    • Silene dioica var. zetlandica (Compton) Kerguélen
    • Silene diurna Gren. & Godr.
    • Silene hornemannii Steud.
    • Silene latifolia Hornem.
    • Silene rubra Burnat

Silene dioica (syn. Melandrium rubrum), known as red campion [2] and red catchfly, [3] is a herbaceous flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Europe and introduced to the Americas.

Contents

Description

It is a biennial or perennial plant, The plant grows to 30–90 centimetres (12–35 inches) tall, with branching stems. The deep green leaves are in opposite and decussate pairs, simple acute ovate, 3–8 cm (1–3 in) long with an untoothed margin; both the leaves and stems of the plant are hairy and slightly sticky. The upper leaves are stalkless. [4]

Blooming from May to October, the unscented flowers are dark pink to red, each 1.8–2.5 cm (34–1 in) across. There are five petals which are deeply notched at the end, narrowed at the base and all go into an urn-shaped calyx. As indicated by the specific name, male and female flowers are borne on separate plants (dioecious), the male with 10 stamens and a 10-veined calyx, the female with 5 styles and a 20-veined calyx. [4]

The fruit, produced from July onwards, is an ovoid capsule containing numerous seeds, opening at the apex by 10 teeth which curve back. [4]

Taxonomy

Plants of Silene latifolia × Silene dioica = Silene × hampeana that are fertile hybrids with the closely related white campion ( Silene latifolia ) are common in some areas. They may have paler pink flowers and be intermediate between the two species in other characters. [4]

Distribution and habitat

Silene dioica is native to northern and central Europe and is locally abundant throughout the British Isles. [5] It is generally common in Northern Ireland, [6] but rare elsewhere in Ireland. [7] It is common on the Isle of Man. [8] It has been introduced in Iceland, Canada, the US, and Argentina. [1]

Red campion grows in roadsides, woodlands, and rocky slopes. It prefers to grow on damp, non-acid soils. [9]

Ecology

The flowers are frequently visited by flies such as Rhingia campestris . [10] The nectar of the flowers is utilised by bumblebees and butterflies, and several species of moth feed on the foliage.

The flowers of red-campion along with a number of other Caryophyllaceae members, are very susceptible to a smut (fungus) infection. In this case by Microbotryum silenes-dioicae known as anther-smut [11] which appears as a mass of brown spores in the mouth of the flower where the anthers would normally be.

Cultivation

A Lychnis moth caterpillar feeding on the seeds of red campion (Silene dioica). The larva of Hadena bicruris is feeding on the seeds of Red Campion (Silene dioica).jpg
A Lychnis moth caterpillar feeding on the seeds of red campion (Silene dioica).

This plant is used as an ornamental perennial flower for the perennial border. One particularly notable variety is a hot pink, double flowered variety with deep green leaves called 'Firefly'.

In culture

On the Isle of Man, it is known as "blaa ny ferrishyn" or "fairy flower", and there is a local taboo against picking it. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Silene chalcedonica</i> Species of flowering plant

Silene chalcedonica, the Maltese-cross or scarlet lychnis, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Eurasia. Other common names include flower of Bristol, Jerusalem cross and nonesuch.

<i>Silene acaulis</i> Species of flowering plant in the carnation family Caryophyllaceae

Silene acaulis, known as moss campion or cushion pink, is a small mountain-dwelling wildflower that is common all over the high arctic and tundra and in high mountains of Eurasia and North America. It is an evergreen perennial flowering plant in the carnation family Caryophyllaceae.

<i>Silene flos-cuculi</i> Species of flowering plant

Silene flos-cuculi, commonly called ragged-robin, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native to Eurasia and has been introduced to North America.

<i>Silene latifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Silene latifolia, commonly known as white campion, is a dioecious flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to most of Europe, Western Asia and northern Africa. It is a herbaceous annual, occasionally biennial or a short-lived perennial plant, growing to between 40–80 centimetres tall. It is also known in the US as bladder campion but should not be confused with Silene vulgaris, which is more generally called bladder campion.

<i>Microbotryum violaceum</i> Species of fungus

Microbotryum violaceum, also known as the anther smut fungus, was formerly known as Ustilago violacea. It is a Basidiomycete obligate parasite of many Caryophyllaceae. But it has now separated into many species due to its host specificity.

<i>Silene laciniata</i> Species of herb

Silene laciniata is a perennial herb in the family (Caryophyllaceae), commonly known as fringed Indian pink, cardinal catchfly, Mexican campion, Mexican-pink, and campion.

<i>Silene douglasii</i> Species of flowering plant

Silene douglasii is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common name Douglas's catchfly.

<i>Silene gallica</i> Species of flowering plant

Silene gallica is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by several common names, including common catchfly, small-flowered catchfly, and windmill pink. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it can be found throughout much of the temperate world as a common roadside weed.

<i>Silene hookeri</i> Species of flowering plant

Silene hookeri is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names Hooker's silene, Hooker's catchfly, Hooker's Indian pink, and Hooker's glandular campion.

Silene marmorensis is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names Marble Mountain catchfly, Marble Mountain campion, and Somes Bar campion. It is endemic to the southern Klamath Mountains of northern California, where it grows in mountain woodlands and forests. It is a perennial herb producing several stems and shoots from a woody, branching caudex and thick taproot. The hairy, glandular stems grow erect to a maximum height near 40 centimeters. The lance-shaped leaves are a few centimeters long and are borne in pairs, the lowermost drying early. The inflorescence is a terminal cyme of flowers at the top of the stem, and some flowers may occur in the leaf axils. Each flower has a hairy, veined calyx of fused sepals. The flowers bloom at night, the five pinkish or green-tinged petals opening at the tip of the calyx.

<i>Silene menziesii</i> Species of flowering plant

Silene menziesii is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names Menzies' campion and Menzies' catchfly. It is native to western North America from Alaska through the western half of Canada to the southwestern United States. It can be found in many types of habitat and it is quite common in much of its range. It is variable in morphology and there are a number of varied subtaxa. In general, it is a perennial herb growing from a caudex, appearing matlike, decumbent, or erect, with stems a few centimeters to over half a meter long. It is usually hairy in texture, with upper parts bearing sticky glandular hairs. The leaves are lance-shaped, oppositely arranged in pairs, and a few centimeters in length, upper leaves usually smaller than lower. Flowers may occur in a cyme at the top of the stem, or in leaf axils, or both. Each is encapsulated in a hairy, veined calyx of fused sepals. The petals are white with two lobes at the tips. The plant is dioecious with male and female plants producing different flowers. The male and female flower types look the same externally; the stamens are reduced in female plants and the stigmas are reduced in the male.

Silene nuda is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names western fringed catchfly and sticky catchfly.

<i>Silene occidentalis</i> Species of flowering plant

Silene occidentalis is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names western catchfly and western campion.

<i>Silene oregana</i> Species of flowering plant

Silene oregana is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names Oregon silene, Oregon campion and Oregon catchfly. It is native to the western United States, including the Great Basin, where it grows in habitat such as sagebrush and forests. It is a perennial herb growing from a woody caudex and taproot, sending up an erect, mostly unbranched stem which may be 70 centimeters tall. The lance-shaped leaves are up to 8 centimeters long around the caudex, and shorter farther up the stem. Flowers occur in a terminal cyme and sometimes in leaf axils. Each flower is encapsulated in a hairy, glandular calyx of fused sepals. The five petals are creamy white or pink-tinged in color and each has four to six long, fringelike lobes at the tip.

<i>Silene scouleri</i> Species of flowering plant

Silene scouleri is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names simple campion and Scouler's catchfly.

Silene suksdorfii is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names Suksdorf's silene, Suksdorf's catchfly and Cascade alpine campion. It is native to the Pacific Northwest of the United States, where it occurs from Washington and Idaho to northern California. It is mainly an alpine species, growing in the talus of high mountain slopes. It can also be found below the tree line in forested subalpine habitat. It is a squat perennial herb producing several erect stems from a leafy, woody caudex. It generally takes a clumpy form. The stems grow up to 10 or 15 centimeters tall and are hairy in texture, with glandular, sticky areas on the upper parts. The leaves occur in tufts around the caudex. They are fleshy and coated in soft hairs. Solitary flowers arise on erect peduncles. Each is encapsulated in an inflated calyx of fused sepals, which is starkly purple-veined and has purplish glandular hairs. The petals are white or purple-tinged and have two lobes at their tips and appendages at their bases.

<i>Silene verecunda</i> Species of flowering plant

Silene verecunda is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common name San Francisco campion.

<i>Silene polypetala</i> Species of flowering plant

Silene polypetala is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names eastern fringed catchfly and fringed campion. It is native to Georgia and northern Florida in the United States. It is threatened by the loss and degradation of suitable habitat. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<i>Silene uniflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Silene uniflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common name sea campion.

Microbotryum silenes-dioicae is a species of fungus first isolated from Brittany, France. Its name refers to its host species, Silene dioica. The fungus is the cause of anther-smut disease, which results in fungal spores replacing the pollen in the anthers. The species that most resembles ‘’M. silenes-dioicae’’ morphologically is M. lychnidis-dioicae.

References

  1. 1 2 "Silene dioica (L.) Clairv". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  2. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Silene dioica". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Stace, C. A. (2010). New Flora of the British Isles (Third ed.). Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. pp.  473. ISBN   9780521707725.
  5. Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. and Warburg, E.F. 1962. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press.
  6. Hackney, P.(Ed) 1992. Stewart & Corry's Flora of the North-east of Ireland. Third Edition Institute of Irish Studies, The Queen's University of Belfast. ISBN   0-85389-446-9
  7. Webb, D.A., Parnell, J. and Doogue, D. 1998. An Irish Flora. Seventh Revised Edition. Dundalgan Press (W. Tempest) Ltd. Dundalk. ISBN   0-85221-131-7
  8. 1 2 Moore, A.W. (1924). A Vocabulary of the Anglo-Manx Dialect. Oxford University Press.
  9. EnchantedForest: Red Campion Archived 2006-05-21 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Van Der Kooi, C. J.; Pen, I.; Staal, M.; Stavenga, D. G.; Elzenga, J. T. M. (2015). "Competition for pollinators and intra-communal spectral dissimilarity of flowers". Plant Biology. 18 (1): 56–62. doi:10.1111/plb.12328. PMID   25754608.
  11. Hood, M. E.; Mena-Alí, J. I.; Gibson, A. K.; Oxelman, B.; Giraud, T.; Yockteng, R.; Arroyo, M. T.; Conti, F.; Pedersen, A. B.; Gladieux, P.; Antonovics, J. (July 2010). "Distribution of the anther-smut pathogen Microbotryum on species of the Caryophyllaceae". The New Phytologist. 187 (1). NCBI: 217–229. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03268.x. PMC   3487183 . PMID   20406409.