COCKLES & CAMPION STUDY In the Caryophyllaceae family, seed shapes and surface textures differ depending on how the seed is dispersed from the parent plant. Methods of dispersal include by wind, water, carried by animals either on their hair or deposited by their droppings after eating the seed. Silene is probably from the Greek “sialon” (=salvia) referring to the gummy exudation on the stems. The important ones for Canadian analysts are the 3 on the Weed Seeds Order: Silene latifolia Poir. subsp alba (Mill.) Greuter & Burdet (=Silene pratensis (Rafn) Gord. & Gren.) White Cockle Silene noctiflora L. Night-flowering Catchfly Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke Bladder Campion And the 2 on the minimum other weeds list: Silene antirrhina L. Sleepy Catchfly Silene dichotoma Etch. Forked Catchfly 1 | P a g e Red Cockle, Red Campion Silene dioica (L.) Clairv., Lychnis dioica Caryophyllaceae 2 | P a g e Shape Circular, compressed Length (in mm) Min 1 Max 1.3 Width (in mm) Min 1 Max 1.3 Thickness (in mm) Min 0.8 Max 1 Color Gray, dark, tubercle tips black. Collar surrounding hilum extends slightly above the margin edge. Surface Texture Tubercles in not well organized concentric rows. Collar completely surrounds the hilum. The seed appears spiny. 3 | P a g e White Cockle, White Campion Silene latifolia Poit. subsp. alba (Mill.) Breiter & Burdet Lychnis alba Caryophyllaceae Shape D-shaped Length (in mm) Min 1.2 Max 1.5 Width (in mm) Min 1.2 Max 1.5 Thickness (in mm) Min 1 Max 1.2 4 | P a g e Color Gray, dark, tubercle tips black. Hilum on the straight side of margin with collar extending to the margin. Surface Texture Strong concentric rows of tubercles. The circular margin has a distinct flat side where the hilum is located. The collar does not completely surround the hilum and forms distinct humps on the lateral sides of the hilum. Night-flowering Catchfly Silene noctiflora L. Caryophyllaceae (Clammy Cockle, Sticky Cockle) Shape Circular, compressed Length (in mm) Min 1 Max 1.2 Width (in mm) Min 1 Max 1.2 Thickness (in mm) Min 0.8 Max 1 Color Yellowish-gray, black tipped tubercles. Collar only on lateral sides of hilum, not above margin. Surface Texture Oblong tubercles concentric on outer margins, less organized on sides. The hilum is a slit with a collar of two 5 | P a g e lumps on the sides. The height of the collar lumps does not extend beyond the margin line. The tubercles are large with no interspace between them. 6 | P a g e Sleepy Nightfly (Sleepy Catchfly) Silene antirrhina L. Caryophyllaceae Shape Discoid Length (in mm) Min 0.5 Max 0.6 Width (in mm) Min 0.7 Max 0.9 Thickness (in mm) Min 0.4 Max 0.5 Color Gray. Hilum is recessed in the straight part of the margin. The hilum has small pads on either side. Surface Texture Tuberculate. The tubercles have black tips and wavy margins. They are arranged in linear rows on the seed margin. 7 | P a g e Sweet William Catchfly, Sweet William Campion Silene armeria Caryophyllaceae Shape Discoid and wedged Length (in mm) Min 0.5 Max 0.7 Width (in mm) Min 0.6 Max 0.8 Thickness (in mm) Min 0.1 Max 0.2 Color Brown. Hilum recessed in straight part of margin. Surface Texture Tuberculate. Tubercles on lateral sides are elongate and radiating toward the hilum. Tubercles are separated by wavy margins. Seed margin is narrow at the hilum area. 8 | P a g e 9 | P a g e Narrow-Clefted Catchfly Silene conoidea L. Caryophyllaceae (Large Sand Catchfly) Shape Discoid and wedged Length (in mm) Min 1 Max 1.4 Width (in mm) Min 1.5 Max 1.6 Thickness (in mm) Min 0.8 Max 1 Color Gray. Hilum is recessed in the straight and narrow part of the seed margin. Surface Texture Tuberculate. Tubercles with black tips and arranged in rows parallel to the seed margin. The seed shapes are irregular. 10 | P a g e Biennial Champion Silene csereii Baumg Caryophyllaceae (Smooth Catchfly, European Catchfly) Shape Reniform (kidney shaped) Length (in mm) Min 0.7 Max 1 Width (in mm) Min 1.2 Max 1.4 Thickness (in mm) Min 0.5 Max 0.6 Color Light brown. Hilum recessed in concave part of the margin with small lateral pads. Surface Texture Tuberculate. Tubercles with black tips and separated by wavy lines. They are arranged in rows on the seed margin and randomly on the seeds lateral sides. 11 | P a g e Silene dichotoma Etch. Forked Catchfly Caryophyllaceae (Forked Campion, Two-Branch Catchfly) Fruit: a dehiscent capsule, three-chambered. Seeds about 1 mm wide, finely wrinkled. 12 | P a g e English Catchfly, French Catchfly Silene gallica L. Caryophyllaceae (Five-wound Catchfly, Small-flower Catchfly) Shape Reniform (kidney shaped) with concave sides. Length (in mm) Min 0.6 Max 0.8 Width (in mm) Min 0.9 Max 1.1 Thickness (in mm) Min 0.4 Max 0.5 Color Black. Hilum is recessed in concave part of the margin. Surface Texture Tuberculate. Tubercles in rows on the seed margin. They are elongate and radiating toward the hilum on the concave seed sides 13 | P a g e Nodding Catchfly Silene pendula L. Caryophyllaceae (Drooping Catchfly) Shape Discoid Length (in mm) Min 1 Max 1.2 Width (in mm) Min 1.2 Max 1.3 Thickness (in mm) Min 0.8 Max 0.9 Color Brown. Hilum recessed in margin with lateral pads. Surface Texture Tuberculate. Tubercles have black tips and are in rows on the seed margins. Tubercles are separated by wavy lines. 14 | P a g e Bladder Campion, Cowbell Campion Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke subsp. vulgaris, Silene cucubalus, Silene vulgaris Caryophyllaceae Shape Triangular, compressed. Length (in mm) Min 1 Max 1.5 Width (in mm) Min 1.2 Max 1.5 Thickness (in mm) Min 0.8 Max 1 Color Gray, tubercle tips black. Hilum with large lateral collar. Surface Texture Tubercles in well-organized concentric lines. The outline of the seed is not uniformly rounded but with a tendency to be triangular. 15 | P a g e Other Silene species of possible interest. Silene nutans Silene coronaria Silene coeli-rosa Silene otites Silene flos-cuculi Silene conica 16 | P a g e Silene viscaria 17 | P a g e.