Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke

Spice Flower 1 Flower 2 In the field

Family: CARYOPHYLLACEAE

Genus: Silene

Catalan common name: Colís. Colissos. Colitxos. Cuniells. Escalfidors. Trons.

Spanish common name: Alcaducea. Collejas. Conejera.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Holoartica

Uses and properties: Edible or foodstuffs.

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Chameophyte. Hemicryptophyte.

Habitats: Xero-acanthic shrubs of the mountanous regions, and steppe-grasslands of Ampelodesmos mauritanica. Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones.

Characteristics: A perennial grass that makes its home in the margins of walkways and grasslands. Stems are erect, leaves lanceolate, opposite and light green. The flowers are very characteristic, a swelled calyx (and you can make it ?pop? as if it were a small balloon?) with white bilobate petals; flowers are open during the evenings.