Family: Caryophyllaceae
Silene vulgaris
Citation:
Garcke, Fl. Deutschl. edn 9:64 (1869) subsp. vulgaris.
Synonymy: Cucubalus behen L., Sp. Pl. 414 (1753); Behen vulgaris Moench, Meth. 709 (1794); S. cucubalus Wibel, Prim. Fl. Werth. 241 (1799); Cucubalus inflatus Salisb., Prod. Chapel Allert. 302 (1796); S. inflata (Salisb.)Smith, Fl. Brit. 467 (1800).
Common name: Bladder campion, blue root.
Description:
Perennial, usually glabrous, glaucous, woody at the base, stems c. 70 cm high, branched; leaves glabrous, broadly-lanceolate or ovate to linear, c. 8 cm long, c. 2.5 cm wide, apex acute, usually sessile but sometimes tapering to a short flat petiole.
Flowers to c. 2 cm diam., on rather long pedicels, often drooping, in a forked cyme; bracts scarious; calyx broadly ovoid to subglobose, inflated, umbilicate at the base, c. 1.5 cm diam., with 20 longitudinal nerves branching reticulately, teeth triangular; petals white, rarely violet, 2-fid to the claws.
Capsules broadly ovoid or oblong, c. 1.4 cm long, c. 0.7 cm wide, usually with a narrow mouth, c. 3 times longer than the glabrous carpophore which supports it; seeds 1-1.5 mm long, black.
Published illustration:
P. Lamp & F. Collet (1976) Weeds in Australia, p. 294.
Distribution:
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S.Aust.: FR, EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, KI, SE. W.Aust.; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas. New Zealand; native to Europe, the Mediterranean and western Asia.
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Conservation status:
naturalised
Flowering time: mainly Oct. — Jan.
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SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
No text
Author:
Not yet available
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