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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE PINK FAMILY | |||||||||
| The pink family is found mainly in north temperate regions, though it may also be found in montane tropics and the arctic. These plants are herbaceous perennials that have an erect or reclining growth habit. Some species may be mat forming. Almost all of the members of the pink family have three characteristics in common that make this family easy to identify: swollen nodes, opposite leaves, and notched petals. Several members of this family are used as ornamentals. One of the more well-known examples is Dianthus or the carnation. Many species are also considered weedy. | |||||||||
| SLEEPY CATCHFLY | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Silene antirrhina | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Sleepy catchfly grows as tall as 80 cm from slender taproots. The stem is simple or few-branched. The slender stem has broad, sticky, purplish-black regions. The basal leaves are spoon-shaped and the stem leaves are opposite and are hairy-margined near the base. There are few flowers, each a small, leafy bract. The sepals are fused into a tube and have five to 10 nerves. The sepals are green with purple tips. The petals are slightly longer than the sepals and are pinkish in colour. The fruit is a capsule that opens along six teeth. The seeds are brownish or greyish black. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Sleepy catchfly grows in sandy meadows and rocky outcrops. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in northwestern and east-central Saskatchewan in the Moist Mixed Grassland, Mid-Boreal Lowland, and Tazin River Upland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Sleepy catchfly is threatened because it is uncommon in the province and occurs in two disjunct regions. Most local populations are small. No immediate threats have been identified for this species. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY SLEEPY CATCHFLY | |||||||||
| * Does the stem have dark, sticky bands? * Are the petals pinkish? * Are the leaves opposite and sessile? * Did you find it in northern or east-central Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found sleepy catchfly! | |||||||||
