Tuesday, November 19
    Herbs and Spices

    Facts about Red Campion

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    Silene dioica (syn. Melandrium rubrum), commonly known as red campion and red catchfly is a herbaceous flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. The plant is native throughout central, western and northern Europe, and locally in southern Europe. It has been introduced in Iceland, Canada, the US, and Argentina. Some of the well-known common names of the plant are Morning campion, Red campion, Red catchfly, Red cockle, rough robin, Lord, God of Blood, Red Night Elke, Red Forest Elke and Taglicht Elke.

    Silene, the genus name, is a reference to the Greek woodland god Silenus the foster father of Bacchus, who was often depicted covered in a sticky foam and whose name in turn comes from the Greek word for saliva; the female flowers of Red Campion secrete a frothy foam that captures pollen from insects that come to the flowers to gather nectar. The specific epithet dioica means ‘two houses’, and signifies that separate plants bear the male and the female flowers.

    Red Campion Facts

    Red campion Quick Facts
    Name: Red campion
    Scientific Name: Silene dioica
    Origin Throughout central, western and northern Europe, and locally in southern Europe
    Shapes Broadly ovoid to globose capsule 10–15 mm long containing numerous seeds
    Name Red campion
    Scientific Name Silene dioica
    Native Throughout central, western and northern Europe, and locally in southern Europe. It has been introduced in Iceland, Canada, the US, and Argentina
    Common Names Morning campion, Red campion, Red catchfly, Red cockle, rough robin, Lord, God Of Blood, Red Night Elke, Red Forest Elke, Taglicht Elke
    Name in Other Languages Armenian: Hamaspram (Համասպրամ)
    Belarusian: Smalianka (Смалянка)
    Bulgarian: Dvudomno plyuskaviche (двудомно плюскавиче)
    Catalan: Melandri vermell
    Chinese:  Hong jian qiu luo
    Croatian: Crveni golesak, crvena pušina
    Czech: Silenka dvoudomá, knotovka červená, silenka červená
    Danish: Dag-Pragtstjerne
    Dutch: Dagkoekoeksbloem
    English: Morning campion, Red campion, Red catchfly, Red cockle, rough robin
    Estonian: Punane pusurohi
    Finnish: Puna-ailakki
    French: Compagnon-rouge, Lychnis dioïque, Lychnis fleur de coucou, Silène dioïque, Silène rouge, ivrogne, lychnis du jour, mélandrie du jour, robinet rose, robinet rouge
    Georgian: Sast’vena (სასტვენა)
    German: Rote Waldnelke, Rote Lichtnelke, rote Tagnelke, rote Nachtnelke
    Hungarian: Piros mécsvirág
    Icelandic: Dagstjarna
    Irish: Coireán coilleach
    Italian: Silene dioica, femerone rosso, gittaione rosso, gittone rosso
    Japanese: Reddokyanpion (レッドキャンピオン), Akebonosen’nou (アケボノセンノウ)
    Latvian: Sarkanā spulgotne
    Lithuanian: Raudonžiedis šakinys, raudonžiedė naktižiedė
    Norwegian: Rød jonsokblom, Aaker-nelliker, Rødfot-græs, Vilde-nelliker, Raud jonsokblom, Ruksesluffellaš, Guppaslieđđi, Ruksesluffilasta, Ruksesrássi
    Polish: Bniec czerwony
    Russian: Droma dvudomnaya (Дрёма двудомная), smolovka lesnaya (смолёвка лесная)
    Scottish Gaelic: Cìrean-choilich, Cìrein-choilich
    Slovak: Silenka červená, knôtovka červená, silenka dvoudomá  
    Slovene: Rdeči slizek     
    Spanish: Borbonesa, colleja rocha           
    Swedish: Rödblära, Skogslyse, Skoglyst rödblära, Skogslyst
    Turkish: Catal nakıl         
    Ukrainian: Kukolytsya dvodomna (куколиця дводомна)
    Walloon: Brin-d’-leu
    Welsh: Blodau Neidr, Blodeuyn Rhudd, Blodyn Crach, Blodyn Neidr, Blodyn Taranau, Blodyn y Neidr, Botwm Mab Leuanc, Ceiliog Coch, Coch y Taranau, Gludlys Coch, Lluglys Blodeuyn Rhudd, Lluglys Ysgar, Llys yr Ychain, Llys yr Ychen, Llysiau Robin
    Plant Growth Habit Hairy, short-lived herbaceous biennial or perennial flowering plant
    Growing Climates Woods, hedgerows, ledges of cliffs, deciduous woodlands, woodland margins and clearings,  gardens, riverbanks, open waste places, rocky slopes, stabilized screes, seashore, broad-leaved forests, coppices, yards, banks, wasteland, fell precipices
    Soil Prefers fertile, well drained, non-acid, base-rich or calcareous soils
    Plant Size Up to 20cm tall and erect flowering stems 30 – 90cm tall
    Stem Erect, simple or basally branched, 20–90 cm high
    Leaf 20–90 mm long, 3–45 mm wide; basal leaves long-petiolate, obovate-oblong; cauline leaves oblong-elliptic, acute to acuminate, shortly petiolate to subsessile, petiole 0–30 mm long
    Flowering season May to June
    Flower Dark pink to red flowers, each 1.8-2.5 cm across. There are five petals which are deeply notched at the end, narrowed at the base and all go into an urn-shaped calyx. As indicated by the specific name, male and female flowers are borne on separate plants
    Fruit Shape & Size Broadly ovoid to globose capsule 10–15 mm long containing numerous seeds, opening at the apex by 10 teeth which curve back
    Seed Dark brown to black, broadly reniform, plump, 1-1.6 mm, densely and evenly papillate
    Propagation By seed or by division
    Plant Parts Used Leaves, Blütten, Seeds, Roots
    Season June to August
    Traditional Uses
    • In some countries the crushed seeds of Red Campion have traditionally been used to treat snakebites.

    Plant Description

    Red campion is a hairy, short-lived, herbaceous biennial or perennial flowering plants that normally grow up to 20 cm tall and erect flowering stems are 30 – 90 cm tall. The plant is found growing in woods, hedgerows, ledges of cliffs, deciduous woodlands, woodland margins and clearings, gardens, yards, banks, riverbanks, open waste places, rocky slopes, stabilized screes, seashore, broad-leaved forests, coppices, wasteland and fell precipices. The plant prefers fertile, well drained, non-acid, base-rich or calcareous soils. Stems are erect, simple or basally branched, 20–90 cm high.

    Leaves

    Leaves are 20–90 mm long and 3–45 mm wide. Basal leaves are long-petiolate, obovate-oblong and cauline leaves are oblong-elliptic, acute to acuminate, shortly petiolate to sub sessile. Petiole is 0–30 mm long. Both the leaves and stems of the plant are hairy and slightly sticky. The upper leaves are stalk less.

    Leaf-of-Red-campion Leaf-of-Red-campion
    Flowers-of-Red-campion Flowers-of-Red-campion
    Immature-Fruit-of-Red-campion Immature-Fruit-of-Red-campion
    Mature-fruit-of-Red-campion Mature-fruit-of-Red-campion
    Plant-Illustration-of-Red-campion Plant-Illustration-of-Red-campion
    Closer-view-of-flower-of-Red-campion Closer-view-of-flower-of-Red-campion
    Red-campion-plant-growing-wild Red-campion-plant-growing-wild
    Red-campion-farming Red-campion-farming
    Red-campion-plant Red-campion-plant
    Red-campion-sapling Red-campion-sapling
    Seeds-of-Red-campion Seeds-of-Red-campion
    Sketch-of-Red-campion Sketch-of-Red-campion
    Red campion Image Gallery

    Flowers

    It is a biennial or perennial plant, with dark pink to red flowers, each 1.8-2.5 cm across. There are five petals which are deeply notched at the end, narrowed at the base and all go into an urn-shaped calyx. As indicated by the specific name, male and female flowers are borne on separate plants (dioecious), the male with 10 stamens and a 10-veined calyx, the female with 5 styles and a 20-veined calyx. The flowers are unscented. The flowering period is from May to October and the flowers are frequently visited by flies, like Rhingia campestris.

    Fruit

    The fruit, produced from July onwards, is a broadly ovoid to globose capsule 10–15 mm long containing numerous seeds, opening at the apex by 10 teeth which curve back. Seeds are dark-brown to black, broadly reniform, plump, 1–1.6 mm, densely and evenly papillate.

    Some Facts

    • The root is used as a soap substitute for washing clothes etc.
    • The soap is obtained by simmering the root in hot water.
    • In the Language of Flowers red campion symbolizes gentleness.

    References:

    http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2488209

    https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Silene+dioica

    https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/117137

    https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=20064#null

    https://www.inhs.illinois.edu/data/plantdb/detail/395

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silene_dioica

    https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Silene+dioica

    http://sppaccounts.bsbi.org/content/silene-dioica-1.html

    https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/MELRU

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