Growing form

Annual or biennial herb.
Height

30–50 cm (12–20 in.). Stem erect, upper part branching (usually 2-branched), coarsely haired.
Flower

Corolla regular (actinomorphic), white, approx. 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in.) wide, petals 5, tips deeply notched. Throat of corolla with lobed corona. Calyx fused, 10-veined, cylindrical or quite oval at base, 15–18 mm (0.6–0.72 in.), hairy. Stamens 10. Pistil of 3 fused carpels, styles 3. Flowers almost stalkless, (half-)nodding in same direction, fragrant. Inflorescence a quite abundantly-flowered raceme. Usually 2.
Leaves

Opposite, blade narrowly ovate–narrowly elliptic, almost linear, 5–10 cm (2–4 in.) long, with entire margins, hairy, dark green. Leaves larger on lower part of stem.
Fruit

Elliptic, yellowish brown, 6-toothed, 12 mm (0.48 in.) long capsule.
Habitat

Harbours and wasteland. Also hay fields.
Flowering time

July–September.

Forked catchfly is native to eastern Europe, and apart from Europe it can also be found in Asia and rarely in North America, New Zealand and Australia. In Finland the species is a very rare established alien. It was more common before, when its seeds arrived with grain and hay and especially clover seeds. Its flowers don’t usually open completely until the twilight or on cloudy days – just like night-flowering catchfly (S. noctiflora). Forked catchfly looks more like Tartarian catchfly (S. tatarica), however, even though its flowers are stalked while forked catchfly’s are short-stalked or stalkless.

Common Catchfly

Silene gallica

NOT TRANSLATED YET. In Finland common catchfly (small-flowered catchfly) is a rare established alien. Se muistuttaa kovasti hankakohokkia, etenkin silloin kun kyseessä on valkokukkainen, 2-haarainen versio. Ranskankohokin kukat voivat olla myös punertavia tai harvoin punalaikkuisia ja ranka voi olla haaraton tai monihaarainen. Molemmilla lajeilla kukinto on toispuolinen, ranskankohokilla kukat ovat lyhytperäisiä, hankakohokilla perättömiä.

→ Distribution map (Kasviatlas, University of Helsinki)

Forked Catchfly

Taxonomy

Family

Subfamily

Tribe

Genus

Species