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Silene latifolia Poir.

White campion, bladder campion, evening lychnis, wide-leaved bladder catchfly

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassCaryophyllidaeCacti, many other succulents, carnivorous plants, and leadworts
OrderCaryophyllalesIncludes cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, and many carnivorous plants
FamilyCaryophyllaceaePink or carnation family
GenusSileneProbably from Greek sialon, “saliva,” from a gummy exudation on the stems; or named for Silenus, intoxicated foster father of Bacchus (god of wine) who was covered with foam similar to the glandular secretions of many species of Silene
Specieslatifolia

About plant names...

White campion is native to Europe, western Asia, and north Africa. It is now common in North America.

Identification: Plants are 1-3′ (30-91 cm) high. In young plants, oval or narrow leaves 1½-4″ (4-10 cm) long form a rosette at the base. In older plants, a forked stem has opposite pairs of leaves. Flowers are ⅞-1″ (2.5-3 cm) in diameter, white, with five notched petals. The calyx at the base of each flower is bulbous, like a little balloon, called the bladder.

White campion closely resembles bladder campion:

 

Silene latifolia (white campion, bladder campion, evening lychnis, wide-leaved bladder catchfly)

8/4/2009 · Near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 8.8 cm)

Silene latifolia (white campion, bladder campion, evening lychnis, wide-leaved bladder catchfly)

6/18/2015 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hamp­shire · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)

 
Silene latifolia ssp. alba
Common Name

bladder campion
Plant 1½-3½′ (45-106 cm) tall, with hairy, jointed stems
Flowers White or pink, ¾-1″ (1.9-2.5 cm) in diameter, with five deeply notched petals. Flowers open in the evening and close by noon. The calyx at the base of each flower is bulbous, like a little balloon, sometimes called the bladder. It is lined with ten prominent dark green or purplish "nerves"
Leaves Leaves are oval to narrow, 4″ (10 cm) × ¾″ (2 cm)
Seeds Small, rounded, rough
Range/ Zones

Habitats Grasslands, roadsides, pastures, waste places
Type Wild
Occurrence Common

 

Silene latifolia (white campion, bladder campion, evening lychnis, wide-leaved bladder catchfly)

1. Part of inflorescence. 2. male flower. 3. female flower. 4. fruit. 5. seed. From Strasburger, Noll, Schenck, Schimper: Lehrbuch der Botanik für Hochschulen. 4. Auflage, Gustav Fischer, Jena 1900.

Online References:

Montana Plant Life

Discover Life

Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network

EFloras

Silene latifolia (white campion, bladder campion, evening lychnis, wide-leaved bladder catchfly)

5/31/2010 · Mt. Lebanon St., Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm)

Silene latifolia (white campion, bladder campion, evening lychnis, wide-leaved bladder catchfly)

8/14/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 12″ (20 × 31 cm) ID is uncertain

Silene latifolia (white campion, bladder campion, evening lychnis, wide-leaved bladder catchfly)

8/3/2009 · 111 Near 119, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm)

Silene latifolia (white campion, bladder campion, evening lychnis, wide-leaved bladder catchfly)

5/31/2010 · Mt. Lebanon St., Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (14 × 22 cm)

Silene latifolia (white campion, bladder campion, evening lychnis, wide-leaved bladder catchfly)

7/6/2017 · Mt. Watatic, access road, Ashby, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm)

 

Silene latifolia description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 16 Sep 2020.

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Silene latifolia (white campion, bladder campion, evening lychnis, wide-leaved bladder catchfly)

7/6/2017 · Mt. Watatic, access road, Ashby, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 8.7 cm)

Silene latifolia (white campion, bladder campion, evening lychnis, wide-leaved bladder catchfly)

Male flowers. · 5/25/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm)

Silene latifolia (white campion, bladder campion, evening lychnis, wide-leaved bladder catchfly)

7/6/2017 · Mt. Watatic, access road, Ashby, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm)

Silene latifolia (white campion, bladder campion, evening lychnis, wide-leaved bladder catchfly)

7/11/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near NH Line, Dunstable, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)

Silene latifolia (white campion, bladder campion, evening lychnis, wide-leaved bladder catchfly)

5/31/2010 · Mt. Lebanon St., Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

Range:

About this map...