Silene gallica L.

Silene species are annual, biennial or perennial herbs, sometimes caespitose. Stem erect, decumbent or climbing, simple or much branched, slightly angular or terete, glabrous or pubescent, rootstock slender, long, stout, sometimes rhizomatous. Leaves simple, opposite, sometimes whorled, linear lanceolate to obovate-spathulate, margin entire, apex acute to obtuse, 1-5 veined, basal leaves petiolate, upper cauline leaves sessile, stipules absent. Inflorescence simple or branched cymes or solitary, terminal or axillary. Flowers bisexual rarely unisexual, actinomorphic, male sterile flowers present in hermaphroditic plants have shorter petal limbs and androgynophores than bisexual flowers, pedicel erect or rarely subsessile or sessile, bracts paired, margins scarious, herbaceous, sometimes absent, bracteoles absent, calyx tube variable, cylindric or campanulate, about 10-40 mm long, whitish green or purplish, about 10-60 veined, margins not scarious, membranous, commissures between sepals 1 veined, petals 5, oblanceolate to obovate, variously shaped and dissected, white, purple, pink, limb and clawed distinct, usually marked with 2 lateral auricles, limb bi-fid or 4 partite, teeth irregular or fimbriate, apex emarginated or entire, coronal scales present. Stamens 10 or less, usually adnate to petals, inserted from carpophore, filaments distinct, staminodes absent, nectarines present at filament bases. Ovary superior, unilocular above and 3-5 locular near the base, style 3-5 or sometimes 4, filiform, stigma 3-5 or sometimes 4, with minute papillae. Fruit capsule, obovoid-globose, dehiscing with 3-5 valves or splitting into 6-10 equal teeth, usually on carpophore. Seeds 15-150 or more, reniform or globose, papillate or tuberculate, reddish gray to black, marginal wings present sometimes, embryo curved.

Silene species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: July-October.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Annual herbs, about 10-40 cm tall. Stem erect, simple or branched, sparsely pubescent with mixed hairs near the base and usually glandular viscid towards the apex, rootstock slender, long and stout. Leaves simple, opposite, some withering at the base, lower radical, linear spathulate-oblong to lanceolate, about 1.2-3.8 x 0.2-0.7 cm across, margin ciliate, apex obtuse with mucronate tip, midrib impressed above and slightly prominent beneath, finely pubescent with mixed hairs on both sides, petiole short to subsessile, cauline leaves linear oblanceolate-lanceolate, petiole sessile, stipules absent. Inflorescence simple or branched cymes, about few flowered, terminal. Flowers bisexual, about 8-13 mm across, pedicel very short in the lower ones, gradually becoming sessile upwards, bracts paired, margins scarious, herbaceous, almost equal to the internodes of calyx, bracteoles absent, calyx tube variable, cylindric-campanulate, about 8-12 x 2-3 mm across, with glandular hairs, prominently 10 veined, petals 5, oblanceolate to obovate, variously shaped and dissected, white or pink, limb and clawed cuneate, about 6 mm long, slightly longer or equal to calyx, usually marked with 2 lateral auricles, limb bi-fid, apex emarginated, coronal scales present, androphores about 1 mm long. Stamens 10 or less, usually adnate to petals, almost equal or shorter than calyx, inserted from carpophore, filaments distinct, staminodes absent, nectarines present at filament bases. Ovary superior, unilocular above and 3-5 locular near the base, style 3, filiform, stigma 3, with minute papillae. Fruit capsule, obovoid-globose, about 8-9 x 6-7 mm across, dehiscing with 5 valves or splitting into 10 equal teeth, subsessile, carpophores about 1 mm long. Seeds many, reniform or globose, papillate or minutely tuberculate, dark reddish brown, ridged, embryo curved.

Silene species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus, and fungi, affecting leaves, fruits and roots.

Notes: Western Ghats, Naturalized, Native of Mediterranean Region

Himalayas, Nilgiris and Palani hills of Western Ghats.

Not evaluated (IUCN).