Silene is a genus of about 600 plants. There are several common ones that grow in waste places and poor ground. There are some ornamental varieties. Common names often applied to the plants are Catch-Fly or Lychnis. The word Silene is a feminine form of Silenus, a Greek deity who hung around with Dionysus. Lychnis is also the genus name for some of these plants, but taxonomy seems to be moving them to Silene. They are all closely related.
Turns out I know a few, but don't have pictures of many. I saw a new one to me in the Adirondacks. You know that made my day!
This is called Ragged Robin, Silene flos-cuculi. Sadly, alien. But it's pretty.
There's another one just past its prime all over my (unmowed) yard. This is easy to identify with its inflated calyx. Silene vulgaris, called bladder campion. Also alien, but the leaves are edibile. The petals are white and flare out from the front of the bladder, but the petals have already wilted on these.
Also common here are two similar white campions: Night-Flowering Catchfly and Evening Lychnis. Both also alien. They are hard to tell apart. The catchfly has three stamens and the lychnis has five, but I can never remember this without looking it up. They are rather straggly plants with branching stems and few flowers.
I once had a red one in a garden, but it died. It was also straggly. I don't miss it.
However, here's a stunning native Silene that you will see often in Ohio. The common name is Fire Pink which is confusing, as common names often are. Pinks are usually Dianthus, although they are all in the same family, Caryophyllaceae. This is Silene virginica.
Not a lot was accomplished today. I'm pretty hot, and my energy melts when the temps go up. Did editing, computer stuff and a little bit of sorting.
 | See Red and Purple |
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