Sweet William Catchfly
Atocion armeria
The 'glue' on its stems is a strategic defense that prevents crawling insects like ants from stealing nectar without pollinating the flower.
- Scientific name
- Atocion armeria
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Caryophyllales › Caryophyllaceae › Atocion
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Open meadows, rocky slopes, disturbed roadsides, and cottage gardens.
- Diet
- Photoautotrophic (sunlight, carbon dioxide, and mineral nutrients from soil).
- Range
- Europe, North America, Temperate Asia
- Size
- 20 to 70 centimeters in height
- Lifespan
- 1-2 years (annual or biennial)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Agricultural intensification, excessive mowing before seed set, and habitat fragmentation.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans. You may observe the sticky 'catchfly' mechanism on the stems, which feels like mild adhesive. No special precautions or medical actions are necessary.
Silene armeria , commonly known as the Sweet William catchfly , is a species of plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. Originally a native of Europe, it has become widespread in the United States. Perennial in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 to 8. A small-growing form is known as dwarf catchfly . The name comes from the way in which small insects are trapped by the sticky sap exuded onto the stem. However it is not currently regarded as a
Photo: Healthy Yards, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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