SILENE BEHEN

Family and Genus:- See- CARYOPHYLLACEAE/Sect. BEHENANTHA

Common Names:- Hairless catchfly

Homotypic Synonyms:- Ebraxis behen.

Meaning:- Silene (Gr) A name used by the Greek philosopher Theophrastus for

catchfly.

Behen, from the Arabic name for several plants.

General description:- Herbaceous plant. with erect, hairless, simple or branched

stems.

Stem:-

1)10-60 cm, erect, sometimes branched from the base.

Leaves:-

1) Lower cauline, narrowly elliptical, acute.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, usually with one dichasial branching at the base,

otherwise monochasial, (sometimes repeatedly branched).

2) Pedicels, usually 5-10 mm, thickened in fruit.

3) Calyx, 11-16 mm, ellipsoid, slightly inflated at anthesis; veins

anastomosing in the upper half.

4) Petal- limb, c. 2 x 3 mm, bifid almost to the base, with broad

contiguous lobes, white or pinkish.

5) Anthophore, 1.5-2 mm.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, 7-10 mm, ellipsoid, firm, crowned by persistent style bases, dehiscent

at maturity.

2) Seeds, c. 1 mm, grey, with flat sides; dorsally densely covered with flat-topped

papillae.

Key features:-

1) Calyx, without wings or with scarious wings.

2) Carpophore, not more than 2 mm.

3) Inflorescence, lax; flowers not overlapping.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation, olive groves, field margins and coastal

habitats. 0-500(-800) m.

Distribution:- C. and E. Mediterranean, N Africa, widely introduced to other parts.

Widespread on Crete.

Flowering time:- Mid-Mar to May.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton