''Atocion armeria'', commonly known as Sweet William catchfly, is a species of plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. Originally a native of Europe, it has become widespread in the United States. A small-growing

form Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens. Form also refers to: *Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter data ...

is known as a dwarf catchfly. The name comes from the way in which small insects are trapped by the sticky sap exuded onto the stem. Although it has been identified as a

carnivorous plant Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryot ...

in the past, it is not currently regarded as such.Williams, Amy. (1913)
Carnivorous plants of Ohio
''The Ohio Naturalist'', 13(5): 97-99.

Description

The plant is between in height.

Leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are numerous, ranging from long, elliptic, oval, or narrowly oval, smooth. The blooming period in British Isles is from June to October. Clusters of pink or lavender flowers arranged somewhat openly or compactly at the end of stems.

Stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

hairless (glabrous) or slightly hairy with sticky areas, especially just below the cluster.

Distribution and habitat

A plant

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

of Europe in roadsides, weedy places. Has been introduced to North America and later escaped cultivation to become an

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

. Perennial in USDA plant

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

s 5 to 8.

References

External links

aphotoflora.com / Silene armeria - Sweet William Catchfly (Caryophyllaceae Images)

pbase.com / Sweet William Catchfly
Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Caryophyllaceae-stub