Silene gallica
an annual member of the Silene genus in the family Caryophyllaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Caryophyllaceae
- Genus
- Silene
- Life cycle
- annual
- Height
- 0.4 m
- Fertility
- Lepidoptera, Bees
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Lepidoptera, Bees
Uses
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The plant is said to be emollient and is used in baths or as a fumigant[4]. The juice of the plant is used in the treatment of ophthalmia[4].
- Product or use
- Emollient
- Product or use
- Ophthalmic
Environment
- Range
- Central and southern Europe, including Britain.
- Habitat
- Sandy or gravelly fields and waste places[2].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow spring in situ.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Prefers a well-drained moisture retentive light loamy soil in a sunny position[1][3].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00