SILENE BEHEN
Family:- CARYOPHYLLACEAE/Sect. BEHENANTHA
Common Names:- Hairless catchfly
Synonyms:- Ebraxis behen.
Meaning:- Silene (Gr) A name used by the Greek philosopher Theophrastus for
catchfly.
Behen, from the Arabic name for several plants.
General description:- Herbaceous plant. with erect, hairless, simple or branched
stems.
Stem:-
1)10-60 cm, erect, sometimes branched from the base.
Leaves:-
1) Lower cauline, narrowly elliptical, acute.
Flowers:-
otherwise monochasial, (sometimes repeatedly branched).
2) Pedicels, usually 5-10 mm, thickened in fruit.
anastomosing in the upper half.
contiguous lobes, white or pinkish.
5) Anthophore, 1.5-2 mm.
Fruit:-
at maturity.
2) Seeds c. 1 mm, grey, with flat sides; dorsally densely covered with flat-topped
Key features:-
1) Calyx without wings or with scarious wings.
2) Carpophore not more than 2 mm.
3) Inflorescence lax; flowers not overlapping.
Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation, olive groves, field margins and coastal
habitats. 0-500(-800) m.
Distribution:- C. and E. Mediterranean, N Africa, widely introduced to other parts.
Widespread on Crete.
Flowering time:- Mid-Mar to May.
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED
Anastomosing- Forming a network; vein branches uniting where they come into
contact.
Anthesis:- The period during which a flower is fully open and functional.
Anthophore. plural -s. : A stalk-like extension of the receptacle on which the pistil
and corolla are borne.
Bifid:- Divided at the tip in two (usually equal) parts by a median cleft.
Calyx:- A collective name for the sepals - the outer whorl of organs in most flowers
Capsule:- Dry fruit that opens when ripe. splitting from the apex to the base into
separate segments known as valves.
Carpophore:- The fruit bearing stalk A prolongation of the receptacle or floral axis
bearing the carpels or ovary.
Cauline:- Borne on the stem, of the stem.
Contiguous:- Sharing an edge or boundary, touching; neighboring, adjacent.
Dehiscent - Dehiscing:- Splitting open to release the seeds.
Dichasial:- Pertaining to Dichasium
Dichasium-Di (pl Dichasia):- Cyme with lateral branches on both sides of the
main axis.
Elliptic - Elliptical:- Forming an ellipse, widest in the middle and pointed at both
ends.
Ellipsoid:- Ellipse-shaped.
Inflorescence:- The flowering branch or branches, flowers and bracts above the
uppermost leaves on a stem.
Monochasial- Inflorescence with a terminal flower and one bracteole subtending a
lateral flower.
Papillae:- Small nipple-like projections.
Pedicel:- The stalk of an individual flower.
Petal-limb:- An enlarged upper part of the petals.
Scarious:- Thin and dry, paper-like, membranous not green.