Lychnis

(Genus)

Herbs biennial or perennial. Stems erect. Leaves lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, apex acute. Inflorescence a dichasium or flower solitary. Calyx tubular to narrowly funnel-shaped or narrowly campanulate, usually not inflated, 10-veined, with 5 teeth. Petals 5, long clawed, limb white, pink, or red, entire, bifid, 4-fid, or laciniate; coronal scales present. Androgynophore ± conspicuous, glabrous. Stamens 10. Ovary 1-loculed; ovules numerous; styles 5, opposite calyx teeth, their bases persistent in fruit. Capsule septicidally dehiscing with 5 teeth. Seeds numerous, reniform, minute, ± tuberculate.

About 25 species: temperate Africa, Asia, and Europe; six species in China.

Recently, Greuter (in Taxon 44: 543-581. 1995) placed Lychnis into the synonymy of Silene . However, Oxelman et al. (in Nordic J. Bot. 20: 513-518. 2001) showed that it is possible to retain Lychnis and several other genera (e.g., Atocion ) as separate from Silene in a taxonomy that is consistent with both the ability to diagnose taxa and solid, molecular-phylogenetic hypotheses. Some species, traditionally included in Lychnis, belong in Silene .^[1]

Photos

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Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis chalcedonica \'Burning Love\' Photographer: David Stang Date Taken: May 22, 2007
Location Taken: Brookside Gardens, Maryland Copyright: © 2007 David Stang ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 253262

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis flos-cuculi \'Jenny\' Photographer: David Stang Date Taken: June 23, 2007
Location Taken: Behnke Nurseries, Potomac MD USA Copyright: © 2007 David Stang ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 251967

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis flos-culculi Photographer: David Stang Date Taken: August 05, 2006
Location Taken: Merrifield Garden Center, Merrifield VA USA Copyright: © 2006 David Stang ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 132164

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis flos-cuculi \'Jenny\' Photographer: David Stang Date Taken: April 18, 2007
Location Taken: American Plant Food Company, 7405 River Road, Bethesda MD. Copyright: © 2007 David Stang ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 297652

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis flos-cuculi \'Jenny\' Photographer: David Stang Date Taken: April 22, 2006
Location Taken: American Plant Food Company, 7405 River Road, Bethesda MD. Copyright: © 2006 the BayScience Foundation ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 128505

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis coronaria Photographer: David Stang Date Taken: April 06, 2006
Location Taken: the United States National Arboretum, Washington D.C. Copyright: © 2006 the BayScience Foundation ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 126565

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis coronaria Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 91562

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis chalcedonica Photographer: David Stang Date Taken: July 07, 2006
Location Taken: Behnke Nurseries, Potomac MD USA Copyright: © 2006 David Stang ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 129901

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis flos-cuculi \'Jenny\' Photographer: David Stang Date Taken: May 06, 2006
Location Taken: Merrifield Garden Center, Merrifield VA USA Copyright: © 2006 David Stang ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 129303

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis coronaria\'Gardeners World\' Photographer: David Stang Date Taken: August 05, 2006
Location Taken: Merrifield Garden Center, Merrifield VA USA Copyright: © 2006 David Stang ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 132165

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis chilensis var. peruviana Photographer: The William and Lynda Steere Herbarium Date Taken: 2007
Location Taken: Ex rupestribus Andium Peruviae juxta pagun Chicla, Peru Copyright: © 2007 This image belongs to The New York Botanical Garden Virtual Herbarium. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 227377

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis coronaria Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 91564

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis coronaria Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 91563

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis flos-cuculi \'Jenny\' Photographer: David Stang Date Taken: April 23, 2007
Location Taken: Merrifield Garden Center, Fairfax VA USA Copyright: © 2007 David Stang ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 298521

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis viscaria Photographer: David Stang Date Taken: May 21, 2007
Location Taken: American Plant Food Company, 7405 River Road, Bethesda MD. Copyright: © 2007 David Stang ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 299964

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Burning Love' Lychnis flos-cuculi Ragged Robin, Penns in the Rocks, England. 17 June 2001 Photographer: David W. Mitchell Copyright: © David W. Mitchell ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 293871

Map

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Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Plantae Haeckel, 1866 - Plants
  - Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae Cavalier-Smith, 1981 - Green Plants
    - Phylum: Magnoliophyta Cronquist, Takhtajan & W. Zimmermann, 1966 - Flowering Plants
      - Subphylum: Spermatophytina (auct.) Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - Seed Plants
        Infraphylum: Angiospermae auct.
        Class: Magnoliopsida Brongniart, 1843 - Dicotyledons
        Subclass: Caryophyllidae Takhtajan, 1967
        Superorder: Caryophyllanae Takhtajan, 1967
        Order: Caryophyllales Perleb, 1826
        Suborder: Caryophyllineae
        Family: Caryophyllaceae (kar-ree-oh-fil-AY-see-ay) Durande, 1782, nom. cons. - Pink Family
        Subfamily: Caryophylloideae
        Tribe: Sileneae
        Genus: Lychnis (LIK-niss) Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 436. 1753. - Campion

The Genus Lychnis is further organized into finer groupings including:

Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 347 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in the Genus Lychnis: L. alpina americana · L. atropurpurea sartorii · L. furcata affinis · L. triflora dawsoni · L. viscaria subnivalis · L. 'Blushing Bride' · L. 'Hill Grounds' · L. 'Molten Lava' · L. 'Terry's Pink' · L. abyssinica · L. acaulis · L. agrostemma · L. ajanensis · L. alaschanica · L. alpestris · L. alpina (Alpine Campion) · L. alpina 'Alba' · L. alpina 'Rosea' · L. alpina 'Snow Flurry' · L. alpina 'Snowflake' · L. alpina americana var. americana · L. alpina compact · L. alpina dark-flowered · L. alpina f. albiflora · L. alpina subsp. americana · L. alpina var. albiflora · L. alpina var. alpina · L. alpina var. americana · L. alpina var. serpentinicola · L. alpina var. typica · L. andicola · L. angustifolia · L. antarctica · L. apetala apetala · L. apetala arcticum · L. apetala f. albida · L. apetala f. arctica · L. apetala f. palea · L. apetala var. elatior · L. apetala var. glanduloso-pubescens · L. apetala var. involucrata · L. apetala var. macropetala · L. apetala var. mollis · L. apetala var. nutans · L. apetala var. uralensis · L. aragonica · L. argentina · L. arkwrighti · L. arkwrighti 'Vesuvius' · L. armoraria · L. arvensis · L. aspera · L. atropurpurea · L. atropurpurea subsp. sartorii · L. atsaensis · L. attenuata f. glabra · L. baccifera · L. behen · L. bhutanica · L. brachycalyx · L. brachypetala · L. bungeana · L. cabulica · L. calcedonica · L. californica · L. cancellata · L. capensis · L. cashmeriana · L. cerastoides · L. chalcedonia · L. chalcedonica (Jerusalem Cross) · L. chalcedonica 'Alba Plena' · L. chalcedonica 'Alba' (Jerusalem Cross) · L. chalcedonica 'Burning Love' (Burning Love Campion) · L. chalcedonica 'Carnea' (Jerusalem Cross) · L. chalcedonica 'Dusky Pink' · L. chalcedonica 'Dusky Salmon' (Jerusalem Cross) · L. chalcedonica 'Flore Pleno' · L. chalcedonica 'Morgenrot' (Jerusalem Cross) · L. chalcedonica 'Morgenröte' · L. chalcedonica 'Pinkie' · L. chalcedonica 'Rauhreif' · L. chalcedonica 'Rosea Plena' · L. chalcedonica 'Rosea' · L. chalcedonica 'Rubra Plena' · L. chalcedonica 'Salmonea' · L. chalcedonica 'Summer Sparkle Pink' · L. chalcedonica 'Summer Sparkle Red' · L. chalcedonica 'Summer Sparkle White' · L. chalcedonica 'Summer Sparkle' (Jerusalem Cross) · L. chalcedonica 'Valetta' · L. chalcedonica 'Villigarda' · L. chalcedonica apricot · L. chalcedonica Beverley seedling · L. chalcedonica salmon-pink-flowered · L. chalcedonica var. albiflora · L. chalcedonica var. albiflora 'Snow White' · L. chaledonica · L. chilensis · L. chilensis var. peruviana · L. chubutensis · L. ciliata · L. clavata · L. coccinea · L. coccugosantha · L. coelestis · L. coelirosa · L. cognata f. albiflora · L. conica · L. coriacea · L. coronaria (Bloody Mary) · L. coronaria 'Abbotswood Rose' · L. coronaria 'Alba Variegata' · L. coronaria 'Alba' (Bloody Mary) · L. coronaria 'Album' · L. coronaria 'Angel's Blush' (Angel's Blush Bloody Mary) · L. coronaria 'Blushing Bride' (Bloody Mary) · L. coronaria 'Blych' · L. coronaria 'Cerise' · L. coronaria 'Dancing Ladies' (Bloody Mary) · L. coronaria 'Eastgrove Pink' · L. coronaria 'Flottbek' · L. coronaria'Gardeners World' (Bloody William) · L. coronaria 'Hutchinson's Cream' (Bloody William) · L. coronaria 'Oculata Group' (Bloody Mary) · L. coronaria 'Rosea' · L. coronaria Atrosanguinea Group · L. coronaria Gardeners' World = 'Blych' · L. coronata · L. coronata 'Speciosa' · L. coronata var. sieboldii · L. corsica · L. cuneifolia · L. cyrilli · L. davidii · L. dawsonii · L. debilis · L. decumbens · L. densoni · L. diclinis · L. dioecia · L. dioica var. alba · L. dioica var. nana · L. diurna · L. divaricata · L. dorotheae · L. drummondi · L. drummondii var. nuda · L. elata · L. eriostemon · L. falconeri · L. fimbriata · L. flos · L. flos jovis · L. flos-cucli · L. flos-cuculi (Ragged Robin) · L. flos-cuculi 'Adolph Muss' · L. flos-cuculi 'Jenny' (Jenny Ragged Robin) · L. flos-cuculi 'Little Robin' · L. flos-cuculi 'Lychjen' · L. flos-cuculi 'Nana' (Dwarf Ragged Robin) · L. flos-cuculi 'White Robin' · L. flos-cuculi flos-cuculi · L. flos-cuculi var. albiflora · L. flos-culculi (Ragged Robin) · L. flos-jovis (Flower of Jove) · L. flos-jovis 'Alba' · L. flos-jovis 'Hort's Variety' · L. flos-jovis 'Minor' · L. flos-jovis 'Nana' (Flower of Jove) · L. flos-jovis 'Peggy' · L. floscuculi · L. foemina · L. fortunei · L. frigida · L. fulgens (Brilliant Campion) · L. fulgens f. glabra · L. fulgens var. glabra · L. fulgida · L. furcata subsp. affinis · L. furcata var. glabra · L. githago · L. glaberrima · L. glandulosa · L. gracilis · L. gracillima · L. graminea · L. grandiflora · L. haageana · L. helvetica · L. himalayensis · L. inaperta · L. incana · L. incarnata · L. inclusa · L. indica · L. inflata · L. intermedia · L. ischnopetala · L. jamesoni · L. kiusiana · L. kubotae · L. laciniata · L. laciniflora · L. laeta · L. laevis · L. lagascae · L. lagrangei · L. longicarpophora · L. lusitanica · L. macrocarpa · L. macrorhiza · L. macrosperma · L. macrosperma f. albida · L. madens · L. magellanica · L. media · L. mexicana · L. miqueliana (Fushigorosen-So) · L. mongolica · L. multicaulis · L. namlaensis · L. neglecta · L. nemoralis · L. nesophila · L. nicaeensis · L. nigrescens · L. nivalis · L. noctiflora · L. nuda · L. nummalaria aurea · L. nummularia · L. nutans · L. oculata · L. ocymoides · L. officinalis · L. opetala · L. opetala var. involucrata · L. orientalis · L. ostenfeldii · L. otites · L. palustris · L. pannonica · L. parciflora · L. parryi · L. parryii · L. parviflora · L. patagonica · L. patagonica f. glabriuscula · L. pauciflora · L. pilosa · L. plumaria · L. potexvirus · L. praecox · L. pratensis · L. preslii · L. procera · L. pulchra · L. pumila · L. pumilio · L. punctata dwarf · L. pusilla · L. pyrenaica · L. quadridentata · L. quadrifida · L. rosea · L. rubra · L. rubricalyx · L. samojedorum · L. saxatilis · L. saxifraga · L. scandens · L. segetalis · L. segetum · L. senno · L. sibirica · L. sibirica f. glabra · L. sibirica var. arenosa · L. sibirica var. glabra · L. sibirica var. jakutensis · L. sieboldii (Catchfly) · L. sieboldii 'Matsu Moto' · L. sieboldii van · L. siegeri · L. sigeriana · L. sikkimensis · L. silvestris · L. soczavana · L. sordida · L. sorensensis · L. speciosa · L. splendens · L. stellarioides · L. stewartii · L. striata · L. subintegra · L. suecica · L. sylvestris · L. symptomless virus · L. taylorae · L. terminalis · L. thysanodes · L. triflora f. glabra · L. triflora subsp. dawsoni · L. triflora var. dawsoni · L. tristis · L. ugoensis · L. umbellifera · L. uniflora · L. vaccaria · L. variegata · L. villosula · L. viscaria (Clammy Campion) · L. viscaria 'Alba' (German Catchfly) · L. viscaria 'Feuer' · L. viscaria 'Firebird' · L. viscaria 'Plena' · L. viscaria 'Schnee' · L. viscaria 'Snowbird' · L. viscaria 'Splendas Plena' · L. viscaria 'Splendens Alba' · L. viscaria 'Splendens Plena' (Catchfly) · L. viscaria 'Splendens Rosea' · L. viscaria 'Splendens' · L. viscaria 'White Cloud' · L. viscaria alpina (Clammy Campion) · L. viscaria atropurpurea var. atropurpurea · L. viscaria subsp. subnivalis · L. viscaria var. splendens · L. viscaria viscaria · L. viscaria viscaria 'Plena' · L. viscosa · L. vulgaris · L. vulnerata · L. wardii · L. wilfordi · L. wilfordii · L. x arkwrightii'Orange Gnome' (Arkwrights Campion) · L. × arkwrightii 'Orange Zwerg' · L. × arkwrightii 'Vesuvius' (Arkwrights Campion) · L. × haageana · L. × haageana 'Burning Desire' · L. x haageana'Lumina Mix' (Silene) · L. x haageana'Molten Lava' (Maltese Cross) · L. × walkeri 'Abbotswood Rose' · L. yunnanensis (Lychnis) · L. yunnanensis alba

Footnotes

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Lu Dequan, Magnus Lidén, Bengt Oxelman "Lychnis". in Flora of China Vol. 6 Page 100. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Sources

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Last Revised: May 01, 2008