Silene gallica - Small-flowered Catchfly
Phylum: Magnoliophyta - Class: Equisetopsida - Order: Caryophyllales - Family: Caryophyllaceae
This very variable wildflower is found throughout the Mediterranean region but is also native to southern Britain.
This size of this plant is dependent on its location - in exposed places it can be much shorter. It is erect, branched, and both hairy and sticky. The flowers of Silene gallica are carried in a characteristic one-sided spike and sometimes the flowers have notched petals, which can be white or pale pink. The plant blooms from March to May and can mainly be found in cultivated or abandoned farmland.
The plants shown on this page were photographed in Crete in early April.
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