Bladder Campion, Night-flowering
Catchfly, and White Campion
LAWRENCE JENKINS
E. R. JACKMAN
BLADDER CAMPIONSilene latifoliaShowing stem with leaves, nature of root growth,
and seed.
Seed magnified.
Oregon State System of Higher Education
Federal Cooperative Extension Service
Oregon State College
Corvallis
August 1941
- Extension Bulletin 561
Bladder Campion, Night-flowering
Catchfly, and White Campion
By LAWRENCE JENKINS and E. R. JACKMAN*
Illustrations by Cathrine Davis Young
Bladder campion, night-flowering catchfly, and white campion
are common weeds in certain sections of Oregon. They are all somewhat similar in appearance, produce seed of approximately the same
size, and are troublesome in the same crops. Therefore the three are
discussed together in this bulletin.
BLADDER CAMPION
(Silene latifolia)
Other names: Cow-bell, Bladder catchfly, White bottle, Rattleweed.
In' Oregon, bladder campion is harder to control and does more
-damage than any other members of the cockle family. It is a real
problem in parts of central Oregon and is spreading into other
counties.
Seed is practically the same size as that of alsike clover and
is difficult to separate from it and other clovers. It spreads rapidly
in seed-growing areas and takes possession of the land.
Bladder campion is a perennial from 1 to 2 feet tall that reproduces both by seed and short rootstocks. Unlike most plants, some
of the stems never produce flowers. Flowering stems may thus be
surrounded by nonflowering foliage, all forming a dense tuft. The
pale green foliage is smooth in contrast to that of some other closely
-related weeds described below. Flowers are white, about 1 inch across,
.and are often drooping. They are borne in clusters on long slender
stems that branch freely. There is no definite blooming period ; the
,flowers form during most of the summer. Leaves are lance-shaped,
blunt at the base, and pointed at the tip, and are produced in pairs
opposite each other along the stem. The papery cup that encloses
the seed capsule has an inflated appearance like a blown-up paper
bag and is nearly cylindrical, with 5 pointed teeth around its tip
margin.
This weed -is often confused with two other less serious members of the same family described below to aid in identification.
NIGHT-FLOWERING CATCHFLY
(Silene noctifiora)
Night-flowering catchfly is an annual that reproduces only by
- seed. Leaves are broad and the whole plant is covered with sticky,
soft spreading hairs, hence the name "catchfly." Flowers are pinkish
inside and yellowish white outside and open at night as the name
* E.
R. Jackman is Extension Specialist in Farm Crops and Lawrence Jenkins is
Assistant Extension Specialist in Farm Crops at Oregon State College.
implies. Seed is similar to alsike clover in size. When viewed with
a hand lens, seeds are found covered with irregularly arranged points
or projections. Seed is grayish
brown but the tip of each point
is black.
WHITE CAMPION
(Lychnis alba)
White campion is a biennial
or a short-lived perennial. It has
short, thick rootstocks. Leaves are
longer and narrower than those of
either of the other two weeds
mentioned. The whole plant is
hairy and somewhat sticky, but
not as extremely so as the nightflowering catchfly. Flowers are
pure white. The light-gray seeds
have numerous small, rough, coneshaped tips, arranged in even rows
over the surface of the seeds.
DAMAGE
In Oregon the chief damage
from these weeds is in seed-growing areas. An infested farm is not
suitable for seed growing. Presence in quantity on a farm may
force the owner into some less
profitable type of farming.
CONTROL
Spread of all three of these
weeds is mostly through the seed.
All
seed growers should avoid
buying
weeds.
WHITE CAMPIONLychnis a/baShow-
ing entire plant, nature of root growth, and
seed.
Seed magnified.
seed containing these
Night-flowering catchfly
will disappear if it is prevented
from going to seed. Land infested
with bladder campion or white
campion should be planted to a crop that will permit deep and thorough cultivation. A desirable cropping practice in some areas is to
seed fall grain or vetch at a heavy rate, use this crop for hay, and
follow by deep plowing and periodic cultivation the balance of the
season. Sometimes two years of such cultivation are necessary to give
control. Season-long cultivation is most feasible in areas with a short
growing season. Small areas can be treated with sodium chlorate or
carbon bisulphide. Sodium chlorate should be applied at the rate of
3 to 4 pounds to the square rod. Because of the comparatively shallow depth of the roots, applications should be made at a time of year
when from 5 to 10 inches of rain can be expected that season. Earlier
applications may be washed out of the soil without completing a kill.
Carbon bisulphide is more expensive than sodium chlorate, but is
effective and can be used on patches of only a few square rods.
Oregon Extension Bulletin 510 explains the use of these chemicals
and other methods of controlling weeds.
NIGHT-FLOWERING CATCHFLYSilene noctifloraShowing entire plant and seed.
Seed magnified.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The authors thank Dr. Helen M. Gilkey, Curator of the Herbarium, for reading the manuscript and checking the description of the plants. Professor
G. R. Hyslop, In Charge, Division of Plant Industries, made many helpful suggestions.
Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics
Wm. A. Schoenfeld, Director
Oregon State College and United States Department of Agriculture, Cooperating
Printed and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914