''Silene laciniata'' is a perennial

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

in the family (

Caryophyllaceae Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactacea ...

), commonly known as fringed Indian pink, cardinal catchfly, Mexican campion, Mexican-pink,Southwestern and Texas Wildflowers, Niehaus/Ripper/Savage, 1984, pp 296-297 and campion.Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains, Nancy Dale, 2nd Ed., pp 92-93 It is native to the southwestern United States from

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, as well as northern Mexico.

Description

Growth pattern

''Silene laciniata'' grows from a taproot and has one or many

decumbent This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...

to erect stems which may exceed a meter (3 ft.) in height. many stems.

Leaves and stems

The slender, branching stem is glandular and sticky. The lance-shaped leaves are up to about 10 centimeters long by 2 wide, with smaller ones occurring on upper parts of the plant.

Inflorescence and fruit

The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

may have one flower or many, each on a long

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

. The flower has a tubular green or reddish calyx of fused

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s which is lined with ten prominent veins. The five bright red petals are each divided deeply into 4 to 6 long, pointed lobes, sometimes appearing fringed. The

pistil Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...

has three parts. There are ten

stamens The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

Subspecies

Subspecies include: * ''Silene laciniata'' subsp. ''brandegeei'' * ''Silene laciniata'' subsp. ''californica'' * ''Silene laciniata'' subsp. ''greggii'' * ''Silene laciniata'' subsp. ''laciniata'' * ''Silene laciniata'' subsp. ''major'' Jepson Manual: ''Silene laciniata'' subsp. ''major''
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References

External links

CalFlora Database: ''Silene laciniata'' (cardinal catchfly)USDA Plants Profile for ''Silene laciniata'' (cardinal catchfly)Jepson eFlora: ''Silene laciniata''Flora of North America''Silene laciniata'' — U.C. Photo gallery
{{Taxonbar, from=Q6938326 laciniata Flora of Arizona Flora of Baja California Flora of California Flora of New Mexico Flora of Texas Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Flora without expected TNC conservation status Taxa named by Antonio José Cavanilles