Silene gallica

Small-flowered catchfly is an annual plant; germination typically occurs in autumn, but occasionally in spring and so the plant can be present in both spring and winter crops (2). The species is sensitive to cold winters however, and seedlings are unable to survive in temperatures lower than 10°C (2).

The small-flowered catchfly is covered in soft hairs and has small narrow leaves and pinkish flowers that are arranged in loose groups called inflorescences and tend to point in the same direction (1). The common name refers to the fact that the plant is sticky, so much so that small flies can become fastened to the leaves or stem (1).

"Notes: Western Ghats, Naturalized, Native of Mediterranean Region"

"Tamil Nadu: Coimbatore, Dindigul, Nilgiri"

Oases and Mediterranean region.

Atlantic Islands, Europe, North Africa West Asia, Temperate regions.

Silene anglica L.:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Silene gallica L.:
Bolivia (South America)
Brazil (South America)
Canada (North America)
Chile (South America)
Costa Rica (Mesoamerica)
Ecuador (South America)
Guatemala (Mesoamerica)
Peru (South America)
United States (North America)
South Africa (Africa & Madagascar)
Colombia (South America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

introduced; B.C., N.B., N.S., Ont., P.E.I.; Ala., Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Fla., Idaho, La., Maine, Mass., Miss., Mo., N.H., N.Y., N.C., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tex., Wash.; Europe; introduced worldwide.

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

This plant was once a common feature throughout the UK and the range extended as far north as Scotland. Following a severe decline the species now occurs mainly in the south and west of England and Wales (2). Elsewhere it occurs in central and southern Europe, but has largely become extinct in northern Europe (2).

Plants annual; taproot slender. Stems erect, branched, rarely simple, 15-45 cm, with long, often crinkled hairs mixed with short pubescence, viscid-glandular distally. Leaves 2 per node, blade with coarse, ascending, scabrous pubescence on both surfaces; basal few, withering, blade oblanceolate to spatulate-petiolate, 0.5-5 cm × 3-15 mm; cauline blades oblanceolate to lanceolate, 1-7 cm × 1-15 mm, apex obtuse or shortly acuminate to acute. Inflorescences open, with racemose branches, internodes and bracts usually ca. equaling fruiting calyx, 1-5 mm, longer proximally. Flowers 5-8 mm diam.; calyx prominently 10-veined, narrowly tubular-ovoid in flower, ovoid in fruit, constricted at mouth, 7-10 × 3-5 mm, membranous between veins, margins dentate, hispid, hairs ca. 2 mm, veins parallel, lobes lanceolate, 2-2.5 mm, apex greenish purple, acute; petals white or pink, often with dark spot or dark pink throughout, clawed, claw equaling calyx, limb elliptic to obovate, lobed or unlobed, to 6 mm, appendages 2, oblong to narrowly lanceolate, 1-1.5 mm; stamens equaling or shorter than calyx; stigmas 3, included in calyx. Capsules equaling calyx, opening with 6 recurved, narrowly triangular teeth; carpophore shorter than 1 mm, pubescent. Seeds dark reddish brown, reniform, angular with concave, radially ridged faces, broad outer edge transversely ridged and verrucose, ca. 0.5 mm broad. 2n = 24.

Silene anglica Linnaeus; S. quinquevulnera Linnaeus

Dry, open places, sandy and gravelly ground, roadsides, waste land; 0-2000m.

Inhabits cultivated and disturbed ground, typically arable fields on acidic sandy or gravelly soils, wasteland, and old walls. It is also found in open coastal grassland, and sand dunes in the Channel Islands (7).

Flowering spring-early summer.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 10
Specimens with Barcodes: 10
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked

Classified as Nationally Scarce in Great Britain (2).

Like many arable 'weed' species, the decline of this plant is the result of widespread changes in agricultural practices, including the use of chemical fertilisers and herbicides, the loss of field-margins, earlier harvesting which denies the plants an opportunity to produce seeds, and the introduction of intensively competitive crops (2). At coastal sites, a further threat can arise from the pressures of tourism and other recreational pursuits (2).

This plant is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species, and as such, a Species Action Plan has been produced to guide the conservation of the species. Plantlife, the wild plant conservation charity is the lead partner for this species (8). The Species Action Plan aims to maintain the current range of small-flowered catchfly, and aid the return of the species to at least eight former sites before the year 2003 (3). Furthermore, it has been proposed that an ex-situ population be established (2).