Sleepy catchfly
Silene antirrhina L.
Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Erect, simple or branched above, glabrate or puberulent, distal internodes usually with dark sticky bands.
- Leaves
- Opposite; stipules absent; petiole absent; blade oblanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, elliptic, or linear, .4 to 3.5 inches long, .08 to .6, base acuminate, tip acute to acuminate, surfaces scabrous to puberulent, rarely glabrous.
- Inflorescence
- Cymes, terminal and sometimes axillary, open or dense. Pedicels ascending to erect, .16 to 1 inch.
- Flower
- Bisexual; calyx campanulate to ovate, .2 to .35 inch tall, .12 to .2 inch wide; sepals 5, connate proximally, forming long tube; lobes triangular; petals 5, rarely 0, white to pale pink or red, .3 to .35 inch, limb ovate, apex bifid; stamens 10; styles 3.
- Fruit
- Capsules .2 to .28 inch, dehiscent by 6 teeth; seeds reddish brown or grayish black, tiny, tuberculate.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Fields, pastures, old fields, roadsides, sandy tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies, waste places
- Distribution
- Throughout Kansas
Additional Notes
Comments
Silene, possibly from Silenus, companion of Bacchus, portrayed as drunken and driveling saliva, perhaps alluding to the sticky secretions of stems and calyces of many species and antirrhina, genus Antirrhinum, for the resemblance of the leaves.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Caryophyllaceae - Pink Family
- Life Span
- Annual
- Height
- 4-32 inches
- Origin
- Native
- Last Updated
- 2018-09-01
Color Groups
White, Green & Greenish White Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: April, May, June