# 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.

- **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.

## About

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

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/c37f1142-d2be-42c4-86a1-3269bc782e89
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/204246
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silene_armeria
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/78423309/medium.jpg (Healthy Yards, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.