campion

/kam"pee euhn/, n.

any of several plants of the genera Lychnis and Silene, having white, pink, or reddish flowers.

[1570-80; special use of campion, old var. ( < AF) of CHAMPION; cf. Gk (lychnis) stephanomatikós (lychnis) for making garlands, with which the winners of games were crowned]

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Any of the ornamental rock-garden or border plants that make up the genus Silene, of the pink family, consisting of about 500 species of herbaceous plants found throughout the world.

The name is also applied to members of the genus Lychnis of the same family. Some species of Silene stand erect; others are spreading plants. The stems often are covered with a sticky material. Some species have solitary flowers; others have branched clusters of red, white, or pink flowers. The fruit is a capsule.

Bladder campion (Silene vulgaris).

Jewel Craig

The National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers

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▪ Silene genus

also called  catchfly 

      common name for ornamental rock-garden or border plants constituting the genus Silene, of the pink, or carnation, family (Caryophyllaceae), consisting of about 720 species of herbaceous plants distributed throughout the world. Members of the genus Lychnis are included in Silene.

      Some species of Silene stand erect; others are spreading or cushion plants. The stems often are covered with a sticky material to which insects may adhere—hence the common name for the plant. The smooth-edged leaves are arranged opposite each other on the stem. The fruit is a capsule. Some species have solitary flowers; others have branched clusters of red, white, or pink flowers. Each of the five petals has a narrow, stalklike base, sometimes with scales at the junction of the base and the broad upper part. Bladder campion (S. vulgaris) has large, white, drooping flowers, and it has subspecies in different habitats throughout Europe. Many species are cultivated. Maltese Cross, or Jerusalem Cross (S. chalcedonica), has flowers of such a bright scarlet that they can be difficult to integrate into border plantings.

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