Silene latifolia ssp. alba (Bladder campion)

Silene latifolia Poir. ssp. alba (Mill.) Greuter & Burdet

Lychnis alba Mill.

Lychnis ×loveae B. Boivin

Lychnis vespertina Sibth.

Melandrium album (Mill.) Garcke

Silene alba (Mill.) Krause

Silene pratensis (Raf.) Gren. & Godr.

Bladder campion

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Caryophyllidae	Cacti, many other succulents, carnivorous plants, and leadworts
Order	Caryophyllales	Includes cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, and many carnivorous plants
Family	Caryophyllaceae	Pink or carnation family
Genus	Silene	Probably 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
Species	latifolia	“Wide to broad leaves”
ssp.	alba	“White”

About plant names...

Bladder campion is a European native, brought to North America, where it is now a common weed.

Identification: Plants are 18-42" (45-106 cm) tall, with hairy, jointed stems. Leaves are oval to narrow, 4" (10 cm) × ¾" (2 cm). Flowers are 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.” Seeds are small, rounded, and rough.

White campion closely resembles bladder campion:

6/16/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 2½ × 4" (7.1 × 10 cm)

6/13/2017 · Old Long Loop, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 3½ × 3½" (9.4 × 8.7 cm)

	*Silene latifolia*	You are here Silene latifolia ssp. alba
Common Name	white campion	bladder campion
Plant	12-36" (30-91 cm) high	18-42" (45-106 cm) tall, with hairy, jointed stems
Flowers	White, ⅞-1" (2.5-3 cm) in diameter, with five notched petals. 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”	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	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	Leaves are oval to narrow, 4" (10 cm) × ¾" (2 cm)
Seeds	¹/₃₂" (1.5 mm) long, dark bluish-brown, with warty bumps in concentric rows	Small, rounded, rough
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 3a-10b
Habitats	Grasslands, roadsides, pastures, waste places	Grasslands, roadsides, pastures, waste places
Type	Wild	Wild
Occurrence	Common	Common

Online References:

Silene latifolia ssp. alba on science.halleyhosting.com

Silene latifolia ssp. alba at the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board

Silene latifolia ssp. alba on Forestry Images

Silene latifolia ssp. alba on SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network

6/14/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 5 × 3½" (13 × 9.2 cm) ID is uncertain

6/14/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 5 × 4" (12 × 10 cm) ID is uncertain

8/14/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 2½ × 3½" (6.7 × 9 cm) ID is uncertain

5/23/2016 · Wildflower Trail, Beaver Brook C, Hollis, New Hampshire

8/14/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 9 × 9" (21 × 22 cm) ID is uncertain

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

6/7/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 5 × 3½" (13 × 9.2 cm)

8/14/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 5 × 3½" (12 × 9 cm) ID is uncertain

8/14/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 3 × 3½" (8.3 × 9.8 cm) ID is uncertain

6/13/2017 · Old Long Loop, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 7 × 4½" (18 × 12 cm)

6/1/2013 · Beaver Brook Assn Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 2½ × 2½" (6.3 × 7.2 cm)

Range:

About this map...