Facts about Red Campion

Sylvia

4 years ago

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.

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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.