Probably from Greek sialon, “saliva,” from a gummy exudation on the stems; or named for Silenus, intoxicated foster father of Bacchus (god of wine) who was covered with foam similar to the glandular secretions of many species of Silene
White campion is native to Europe, western Asia, and north Africa. It is now common
in North America.
Identification: Plants are 1-3′ (30-91 cm) high. In young plants, oval or narrow leaves 1½-4″ (4-10 cm) long form a rosette at the base.
In older plants, a forked stem has opposite pairs of leaves.
Flowers are ⅞-1″ (2.5-3 cm) in diameter, white, with five notched petals. The calyx at the base of each flower is bulbous, like a little balloon, called the bladder.
1½-3½′ (45-106 cm) tall, with hairy, jointed stems
Flowers
White or pink, ¾-1″ (1.9-2.5 cm) in diameter, with five deeply notched petals. Flowers open in the evening and close by noon. The calyx at the base of each flower is bulbous, like a little balloon, sometimes called the bladder. It is lined with ten prominent dark green or purplish "nerves"
Leaves
Leaves are oval to narrow, 4″ (10 cm) × ¾″ (2 cm)
Seeds
Small, rounded, rough
Range/ Zones
Habitats
Grasslands, roadsides, pastures, waste places
Type
Wild
Occurrence
Common
1. Part of inflorescence. 2. male flower. 3. female flower. 4. fruit. 5. seed. From Strasburger, Noll, Schenck, Schimper: Lehrbuch der Botanik für Hochschulen. 4. Auflage, Gustav Fischer, Jena 1900.