Silene noctiflora
Arable campion ( Silene noctiflora )
The field - campion ( Silene noctiflora ), also known as Night Blooming campion or campion, is a species of the Caryophyllaceae family. It was late afternoon unfold the petals and exude their sweet, clover -like scent that attracts the moths. The plant is considered a " weed ", but in the Alpine region as endangered.
Description
The arable campion is an annual herbaceous plant. It is densely hairy and glandular growth reaches heights of 15 to 50 ( to 90) centimeters. It is formed a taproot. The erect stems grows mostly unbranched branches to little.
Your against permanent leaves are simple, oblong, ovate, up to 11 cm long and they run on both ends to a point. The upper leaves and the upper stem region are sticky, covered with dense hair.
In the leaf axils in the upper part of the stem small, wenigblütige, dichasiale, zymöse inflorescences are formed. The night blooming ( hence the name), hermaphroditic flowers are radial symmetry. The upright flower stem is shorter than the calyx. Five bright green sepals are fused together into a 2 to 2.5 (up to 3 ) cm long and about 5 mm wide, ten annoying chalice. The white, creamy white to pink petals forming a crown, having a diameter of up to 3 inches in the open state. Each of the five petals lobed columns deep. It is formed a corona. Each flower contains three stylus; they are shorter than the petals. Although the flower is hermaphrodite, the plant rarely dusted itself because the anthers are already open for several days before the scars are fully formed. The flowering period is June to September.
The egg-shaped fruit capsule opens up with usually six outwardly curved teeth. Through this opening, it dismisses many about 1 millimeter wide, kidney-shaped gray-orange seeds.
Ecology
Your pollination via insects, largely by moths because its flowers open only in the evening. Insects that land on the plant, shall be held by the sticky hairs. Most can break free again, but there are sticky, so that when other flowers visit the pollen sticks to them.
The distribution of the species is caused by self - propagation and wind. Propagation is by seed only.
According to the ecological indicator values according to Ellenberg this type is specified as a semi shade plant for moderate to warm maritime climate. The species prefers dry, alternating wet, calcareous and moderately nitrogen-containing soils. It occurs in small groups or as single copies.
Occurrence
This species is native to the temperate regions of Europe and western Asia at altitudes of up to 700 meters. The focus is on Central and Eastern Europe. Due to human activities, it is now also common in North America.
The lime -loving plant is found mainly in fields and fallows.
Others
There is no known use of this type. It is considered a " weed ".
The chromosome number is n = 12
Synonyms include: Elisanthe noctiflora (L.) Ruprecht and Melandrium noctiflorum (L.) Fries.
Sources and further information
The article is mainly based on the following documents: