Night-Flowering Catchfly

Pink (Caryophyllaceae family):

Silene noctiflora L.

EPPO code:

MELNO

Other names:

Sticky cockle

Species information

Lifecycle:

Annual, winter annual.

Propagation:

Reproduces by seed.

Emergence:

Night-flowering catchfly will germinate when soil temperatures are as low as 6° C and as high as 31° C (McNeill, 1980).

Habitat:

The plant is commonly found in pastures, waste areas and cultivated fields, as well as along roadsides.

Competitiveness:

A Swedish study found that Night-flowering catchfly had a relatively small influence on the yield of spring cereals and was considered benign (Boström et al., 2003).

Identification clues

Seedling

Cotyledons:

Oblong or club-shaped, tapering into a short stalk.

Young leaves:

Night-flowering catchfly’s first leaves are opposite, ovate and hairy. Young plants produce a rosette.

Mature leaves:

The plant’s mature leaves are opposite, ntire with smooth margins, tapering towards both ends, and have prominent veins. The leaves are densely hairy and sticky to the touch.

Mature plant

Stem:

The stem of night-flowering catchfly is erect and branchy with dense hair. The stem is sticky to touch.

Flowers:

The calyx is densely hairy and sticky with five prominent veins and five white, lobed petals.

Seeds:

Night-flowering catchfly’s seeds are kidney shaped and grayish-orange.

Roots:

Taproot with fine branches

Often mistaken for

I know it's not Bladder campion and White cockle because Night-flowering catchfly is very sticky to touch, especially the stem and calyx, while bladder campion and white cockle are not sticky at all.