Definition

Noun: 1. A perennial herb (Silene vulgaris, formerly Lychnis alpina) characterized by bluish-green foliage, sticky stems, clusters of large white flowers that open in the evening, and a notably inflated, bladder-like calyx. It is native to Europe, including Arctic regions.

Usage Examples

• The bladder campion is easily identified by its distinctive, balloon-like calyx.
• We found bladder campion growing along the roadside, its white flowers glowing in the twilight.
• Botanists study bladder campion for its adaptations to cooler climates.

Advanced Usage

• In botanical classification, bladder campion is a common name that can refer specifically to but may also be applied to similar species within the genus that share the characteristic inflated calyx.
• The inflated calyx of the bladder campion is an adaptation that aids in seed dispersal by wind.

Variants and Related Words

• Silene vulgaris: The current scientific name for the most common species referred to as bladder campion.
• Lychnis alpina: A former scientific name for this plant, sometimes still used in older references.
• Campion: A broader term for plants in the genera and .
• Bladderwort: A different, unrelated aquatic plant that also has bladder-like structures for trapping small organisms.

Synonyms

• Maiden's tears (a less common common name).
• Cowbell (a regional common name, referring to the shape of the calyx).

Related Phrases

• Inflated calyx: The primary identifying feature of the bladder campion. This phrase describes the swollen, sac-like structure that encloses the flower's petals and later the seed capsule.

Noun

1. bluish-green herb having sticky stems and clusters of large evening-opening white flowers with much-inflated calyx; sometimes placed in genus Lychnis
2. perennial of Arctic Europe having large white flowers with inflated calyx