Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Silene gallica

Flowering stem (var. gallica). Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Alexander Schmidt-Lebuhn, Illunie Nature Reserve east of Young

Flowering stems (var. gallica). Photographer Don Wood, Eurobodalla National Park south of Narooma

Flowers (var. quinquevulnera). Photographer Linda Richmond, Baluk Willum Nature Conservation Reserve, Belgrave, Vic

Common name

French Catchfly, Mediterranean Catchfly, Five-wounded Catchfly, Mother Marm, Spotted Catchfly

Family

Caryophyllaceae

Where found

Roadsides and other disturbed sites.

var. gallica:  Widespreaad, mostly Sydney area and ACT.

var. quinquevulnera:  Widespread.

Notes

Introduced annual herb to about 0.45 m tall. Stems sticky hairy. Leaves opposite each other, 1-6 cm long, 1-15 mm wide, rough and sticky hairy. Flowers appearing tubular, with 5 petals to 5 mm long, white or pink (var. gallica) or white or pink with a large dark red blotch at the base (var. quinquevulnera). Flowers in a leafy cluster up the stem. Flowers Spring to Autumn.

PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Silene~gallica (accessed 6 February, 2021)