Sweden wildflowers: Sticky catchfly

Lychnis viscaria, SE: Tjärblomster, DE: Gewöhnliche Pechnelke,
NL: Rode pekanjer, UK: Sticky catchfly


Scientific name:		Lychnis viscaria L.
Synonym name:		Silene viscaria (L.) Borkh.
Swedish name:		Tjärblomster
German name:		Gewöhnliche Pechnelke
Nederlandse naam:		Rode pekanjer
English name:		Sticky catchfly
Plant Family:		Caryophyllaceae, Pink family, Nejlikväxter

Bloemen in Zweden - Vilda blommor i Sverige


Life form:		Perennial
Stems:		Erect, unbranched, glabrous, underside of joints sticky and dark reddish brown
Leaves:		Rosette of long, lance-shaped, dark green leaves
Flowers:		Purple, pink, tubular, star-like flowers
Flowering Period:		May, June
Fruits:		5-valved, 6–9 mm long capsule
Habitat:		Bogs, marshes, pastures and meadows

Derivation of the botanical name:
Lychnis, Greek lychnos, a lamp; in allution to the flame-colored flowers.
viscaria , viscum, birdlime: a sticky substance used to catch birds and made from mistletoe or holly; arius, adjective suffix for nouns or numbers: connected to or possessed by; sticky
Silene, probably from Greek sialon, "saliva," referring to gummy exudation on stems, and/or named for Silenus, intoxicated foster-father of Bacchus (god of wine) who was covered with foam, much like the glandular secretions of many species of this genus.

The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.
The standard author abbreviation Borkh. is used to indicate Moritz (Moriz) Balthasar Borkhausen (1760-1806), a German naturalist.