Carnation & Campion (Pink) Family [Caryophyllaceae] |
status
flower
and/orflower
and/orflower
and/orinner
yellowishmorph
petals
type
stem
rarity
sex
29th April 2014, Guernsey, Channel Islands | Photo: © Maryline Calabrin |
Small-flowered Catchfly comes in 3 colour forms, White, pink and red. The flowers are similar to those of White Campion (except that the petals are not cut) and the calyx tube is similar in the brown stripes on the outside, but there are differences! the petals are not properly white but rather yellowish-white (especially near the centre). |
29th April 2014, Guernsey, Channel Islands | Photo: © Maryline Calabrin |
The stems are sticky, which is how it captures flies. The calyx tube (the objects with the brown stripes with long white hairs) is between 7 to 10mm long and has long teeth. The lower leaves are lanceolate, the upper ones narrower and linear. |
29th April 2014, Guernsey, Channel Islands | Photo: © Maryline Calabrin |
The pink form only differs in the colour of the petals, intermediate between those of the white form and the red form. |
29th April 2014, Guernsey, Channel Islands | Photo: © Maryline Calabrin |
It can be seen that the petals are narrower than those of White Campion and the hairs on the calyx are much longer than those of White Campion. The calyx has 10 veins [not 20] (the brown stripes) and without any interconnecting reticulations. |
29th April 2014, Guernsey, Channel Islands | Photo: © Maryline Calabrin |
The red form has partly red petals. The patterning on the petals on both in pink and red forms can vary; they are not always nearly centrally placed as these specimens here. It is said that those flowers with red splodges are var. quinquevulnera. |
29th April 2014, Guernsey, Channel Islands | Photo: © Maryline Calabrin |
The inside of the flower has several narrower and shorter inner 'petals'. On the top of the calyx can be espied a small fly (the wing is prominent) apparently caught by the stickiness of the plant. |
Photos of the leaves and the whole plant from top to bottom are required.
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Silene | gallica | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Caryophyllaceae |
Silene (Campions) |
Carnation & Campion (Pink) Family [Caryophyllaceae] |