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Practical ecological knowledge for the temperate reader. |
Family: Pink - Caryophyllaceae [E-flora]
"Annual to perennial herb, ± erect, from caudex, taproot, or rhizome; rarely dioecious. Leaf: petioled or not; linear to oblanceolate, vein 1. Inflorescence: generally terminal, open to dense; flowers few to many, pedicels generally 5–40+ mm. Flower: generally erect, generally bisexual; sepals 5, fused, tube prominent, 4–38 mm, 2–13 mm diam, cylindric to bell-shaped, rounded, hairs various or 0 (walls between hair cells generally clear), veins generally 10+, generally dark, lobes or teeth 1–13 mm, < tube, triangular to linear; petals 5, 6–62 mm, claw long, limb entire or 2–6-lobed, appendages at junction of claw, limb 0–6, generally 2, basal lobes present or 0; stamens generally fertile, bases fused with petal bases to ovary stalk; ovary chamber 1 or ± incompletely 3–5, styles 3(4,5; if 5 then flowers unisexual, taxon dioecious), 1–35 mm. Fruit: capsule, cylindric to ovoid; stalk (from ovary stalk) 0–7 mm, generally glabrous; teeth 6 or 10, ascending to recurved. Seed: many, gray to red, brown, or black.
700 species: North America, South America, Eurasia, Africa, introduced ± worldwide. (Greek: probably from mythological Silenus) [Morton 2005 FNANM 5:166–214] Oxelman et al. (2001 Nordic J Bot 20: 743–748) including data for disarticulation of Silene into four additional genera, including for California Lychnis (Lychnis coronaria) and Atocion (Atocion armeria (L.) Raf., as Silene armeria here).
Unabridged etymology: (Greek: probably from mythological Silenus, intoxicated foster-father of Bacchus, who was covered with foam; from sticky secretions of many species)" [Jepson]
S. alba, S. vulgaris, S. acaulis; "Although no mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, it does contain saponins. Although toxic, these substances are very poorly absorbed by the body and so tend to pass through without causing harm. They are also broken down by thorough cooking. Saponins are found in many plants, including several that are often used for food, such as certain beans. It is advisable not to eat large quantities of food that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K]." [PFAF]
Edible Uses
Other Uses
Medicinal Uses
References
Subtaxa Present in B.C.
"General: Perennial herb from a woody root and a branched stem-base; densely tufted, forming thick cushions to 40 cm wide; stems erect, solitary, simple, glabrous, 3-6 (rarely 15) cm tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Notes: Two varieties occur in BC:"
"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry meadows, rock outcrops and fellfields in the alpine zone; common throughout BC, except infrequent on the Queen Charlotte Islands; var. acaulis - circumpolar, N to AK, YT, and NT, E to NF and S to OR, ID, MT and NH, var. subacaulescens - E to AB and S to MT, AZ, NM, NV and OR; Eurasia." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Native [E-flora]
References
"General: Annual herb from a taproot; stems erect, slender, simple to branched, more or less downsweptly short-hairy below, becoming glabrous above, usually purplish sticky-glandular in bands below the nodes or occasionally nonglandular, 20-80 cm tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry roadsides, fields and open forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones, frequent in S BC; E to PQ and NB and S to TX, AZ, NM and MX." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Native [E-flora]
References
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"General: Perennial herb from a usually branched stem-base; stems erect, solitary to several, simple or branching, greyish woolly-hairy, 40-100 cm tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry roadsides and waste places in the lowland zone; infrequent in SW BC, known only from S Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the lower Fraser Valley; introduced from Europe." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Exotic [E-flora]
Synonyms
References
Subtaxa Present in B.C.
"General: Perennial from a stout taproot and branched stem-base; tufted, often matted; stems decumbent to ascending, several, branched, finely and densely hairy, 10-70 cm tall/long." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry grasslands, shrublands, meadows and open forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent in S BC, rare in N BC; S to MT, VT, NV and CA." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Native [E-flora]
References
"General: Annual from a slender taproot; stems ascending, several, branched, conspicuously white-hairy and sticky, 10-50 cm tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry roadsides and waste places; common in SW BC, known from SE Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the adjacent mainland; introduced from Europe." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Exotic [E-flora]
Synonyms
References
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Subtaxa Present in B.C.
"Silene latifolia is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is hardy to zone (UK) 6. It is in flower from May to September, and the seeds ripen from Jul to October. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required) and are pollinated by Lepidoptera.The plant is not self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil." [PFAF]
"General: Biennial or short-lived perennial herb from a branched stem-base; stems erect, several, branched, stiff-hairy below, becoming glandular in the inflorescence, 0.3-1.0 m tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry roadsides, fields and waste places in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; infrequent in SW BC; introduced from Europe." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Exotic [E-flora]
Cultivation
"Succeeds in any good sweet loam in a sunny position[1, 200]. Plants tend to be short-lived and are sometimes only annual[200]. Hybridizes readily with S. dioica[17]. The plant attracts moths[17]. The smut, Ustilago violacea, causes the production of stamens in female flowers, but violet spores of the fungus replace the pollen grains[17]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
References
Subtaxa Present in B.C.
"General: Perennial herb from a long, slender, branched rhizome; stems decumbent to ascending, several, branched, hairy and usually glandular above, 5-70 cm tall/long." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Notes: Two varieties occur in BC:" [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Mesic meadows and open forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common in S BC; N to AK, YT and NT, E to MB and S to NM and CA." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Native [E-flora]
References
"General: Annual herb from a taproot; stems erect, several, branched, hairy, becoming sticky-hairy above, 20-90 cm tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry waste places and cultivated fields in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common in S BC, rare on the Queen Charlotte Islands; introduced from Europe." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Exotic [E-flora]
Synonyms
References
"General: Perennial herb from a simple to branched stem-base; stems erect, several, simple, hairy, more or less glandular above, 10-60 cm tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry meadows and open forests from the montane to alpine zones; common in SC and SE BC; E to AB and S to WY." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Native [E-flora]
Synonyms
References
Subtaxa Present in B.C.
"General: Perennial herb from a simple or branched stem-base; stems erect, 1 to several, simple, densely hairy throughout and glandular above, 15-80 cm tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Notes: Two subspecies occur in BC:"
"Habitat / Range Dry coastal bluffs and gravelly or rocky slopes in the lowland and steppe zones; rare in SW BC, known only from Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands (ssp. grandis) and infrequent in SC BC (ssp. scouleri); S to MT, NM, AZ and CA (ssp. scouleri) and S to CA (ssp. grandis)." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Native [E-flora]
References
"Silene vulgaris is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is hardy to zone (UK) 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jun to August, and the seeds ripen from Jul to September. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required) and are pollinated by Lepidoptera, bees.The plant is not self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil." [PFAF]
"General: Perennial from a strong taproot; stems erect to ascending, several, branched, usually glabrous and glaucous, 20-80 cm tall, the lower branches sometimes decumbent and rhizome-like." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Dry roadsides, fields and waste places in the lowland, steppe and lower montane zones; common in S BC; introduced from Eurasia." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Exotic [E-flora]
Edible Uses
"The young shoots are appreciated (boiled) in the cuisine of Southern Europe; Ligurian use : boiled leaves or leaf salad; plant of the “preboggion” blend; boiled sprouts or leaves in the spring mixture “pistic”." [ETWP]
"BLADDER CAMPION (Silene vulgaris) The “bladder” is the inflated calyx, which snaps when suddenly compressed, and so could be used as a sort of love-charm, according to Coles. The degree of success depended on the loudness of the pop. There was a strange name for the plant in Dorset – White Flowers of Hell (Macmillan). Apparently, there was a superstition that the leaves and “bladders” were poisonous. Actually, children often eat the young leaves, which are supposed to taste like green peas (Jordan). They have even been used as a substitute for asparagus.
Gerard indulged a fantasy about this plant – he said that this plant, which he called Behen,was a protection against the “stinging of Scorpions and such like venomous beasts. Insomuch that whoso doth hold the same in his hand can receive no damage or hurt by any venomous beast”. On a more rational level, he prescribed the root decoction to help strangury and “paines about the neck and hucklebone”. Far more practical is the gypsy use of the plant – the leaves were applied externally as a poultice to cure erysipelas (Vesey-Fitzgerald)" [????]
Cultivation
"Prefers a well-drained moisture retentive light loamy soil in a sunny position[1, 200]. A good moth plant[13]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required." [PFAF]
Propagation
"Seed - sow early spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If you have sufficient seed, an outdoor sowing in situ can be made. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer." [PFAF]
Synonyms