SPECIES DESCRIPTION
SILENE BELLIDIFOLIA
Family:- CARYOPHYLLACEAE/Sect. SILENE
Common Names:- Daisy-leaved catchfly
Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Silene (Gr) A name used by the Greek philosopher Theophrastus for
catchfly.
Bellidifolia (L) Daisy-leaved.
General description:- Erect annual herbs.
Stems:-
rarely branched, below.
Leaves:-
1) Sparsely hispid.
Flowers:-
obscurely anastomosing or free.
4) Anthophore, 5-6 mm.
Fruit:-
2) Seeds, c- 1 mm, dark reddish-brown to black, faces deeply concave, with parallel
longitudinal grooves, back wide, shallowly and broadly grooved. obscurely
Key features:-
1) Veins of calyx obscurely anastomosing or free.
2) Calyx more than 13 mm.
Habitat:- Coastal habitats, field margins, olive groves, dry open shrubby vegetation.
0-400(-1100) m.
Distribution:- W. and C. Mediterranean, east as far as W Turkey. On Crete west
and central.
Flowering time:- Late Mar to early June.
Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis and Enda McMullen
GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED
Anastomosing- Forming a network; vein branches uniting where they come into
contact
Anthesis:- The period during which a flower is fully open and functional.
Anthophore. plural -s. : A stalk-like extension of the receptacle on which the pistil
and corolla are borne.
Bifid:- Divided at the tip in two (usually equal) parts by a median cleft
Calyx:- A collective name for the sepals - the outer whorl of organs in most flowers.
Capsule:- Dry fruit that opens when ripe. splitting from the apex to the base into
separate segments known as valves.
Carpophore:- The fruit bearing stalk A prolongation of the receptacle or floral axis
bearing the carpels or ovary.
Cauline:- Borne on the stem, of the stem.
Clavate:- Club-shaped, thickened towards the apex.
Dichasial:- Pertaining to Dichasium
Dichasium- (pl Dichasia):- Cyme with lateral branches on both sides of the main
axis
Hispid:- With stiff bristly hairs.
Inflorescence:- The flowering branch or branches, flowers and bracts above the
uppermost leaves on a stem.
Monochasial- Inflorescence with a terminal flower and one bracteole subtending a
lateral flower.
Oblanceolate:- Inversely lanceolate, broadest towards the apex and tapering to
the stalk.
Pedicel:- The stalk of an individual flower.
Petal-limb:- An enlarged upper part of the petals.
Puberulent:- Minutely pubescent, the hairs hardly visible to the naked eye.
Pubescent:- Covered with fine short soft hairs, downy.
Tuberculate:- With small, wart-like projections.
Villose, villous:- Covered with long, shaggy hairs.