Silene flos-cuculi (syn. Lychnis flos-cuculi), commonly called ragged-robin, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Caryophyllaceae.[1][2] It is native to Eurasia and has been introduced to North America.
| Silene flos-cuculi | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Caryophyllaceae |
| Genus: | Silene |
| Species: | S. flos-cuculi
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| Binomial name | |
| Silene flos-cuculi (L.) Greuter & Burdet
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| Synonyms | |
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Description
edit
Silene flos-cuculi forms a rosette of low growing foliage with numerous stems 20 to 90 centimetres (8 to 35+1⁄2 inches) tall. The stems rise above the foliage and branch near the top of the stem. The leaves are paired, with the lower leaves spoon-shaped and stalked. The middle and upper leaves are linear-lanceolate with pointed apexes. All of the leaves are untoothed. The stems have barbed hairs pointing downward and these hairs make the plant rough to the touch.
Blooming from May to August (and occasionally later), the pink flowers are 3–4 cm wide. They have five narrow petals deeply divided into four lobes giving the flower an untidy, ragged appearance, hence its common name. The calyx tube is five-toothed with ten stamens.
The fruits consist of small (6–10 mm) capsules opening on top by five teeth and containing many small seeds; they are found on the plants from August onwards.
Distribution and habitat
editThe species is native to Europe and Asia,[1] where it is found along roads and in wet meadows and pastures. It has also become naturalized in parts of the northern United States and eastern Canada.[3]
Ecology
editButterflies and long-tongued bees feed on the flowers' nectar. In addition to these pollinators, the flowers are visited by many types of insects, and can be characterized by a generalized pollination syndrome.[4]
In Britain it has declined in numbers because of modern farming techniques and draining of wet-lands and is no longer common.
Cultivation
editPopular garden cultivars include:
References
edit- ^ a b "Silene flos-cuculi". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ Lychnis flos-cuculi L. USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
- ^ Van Der Kooi, C. J.; Pen, I.; Staal, M.; Stavenga, D. G.; Elzenga, J. T. M. (2015). "Competition for pollinators and intra-communal spectral dissimilarity of flowers" (PDF). Plant Biology. 18 (1): 56–62. doi:10.1111/plb.12328. PMID 25754608.
- ^ "Lychnis flos-cuculi Jenny='Lychjen'". RHS. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- ^ "Lychnis flos-cuculi 'Petite Jenny'". RHS. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- ^ "Lychnis flos-cuculi 'White Robin'". RHS. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
