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Weed Identification in Christmas Trees

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White Campion (white cockle) - Silene latifolia Poir.
Home > white campion
White campion rosette White campion flower
White campion rosette. Balloonlike sepals of white campion.
White campion leaf
Opposite leaves of white campion.
White campion flower
White campion flower
 
Life cycle: Annual, biennial or short-lived perennial.

Leaves
: Seedling leaves initially develop from a basal rosette. Basal leaves are attached to the stem by petioles; stem leaves are without petioles. Leaves are opposite, softly hairy with a grayish tinge, and lance-shaped to oval with a pointed tip and smooth to slightly wavy leaf margins.

Stems
: Soft, hairy stems are erect or semierect at maturity, and up to 3 feet tall. Stems have swollen nodes and often branch at the base.

Flowers and fruit:
Male and female flowers are produced on separate plants. Flowers have five showy, white petals, each with a deep V-shaped notch at the tip. Just below the petals are fused and inflated sepals that create a balloonlike appearance. Fruit are light brown, vase-shaped capsules with 10 teeth at the open end. Each capsule contains numerous brown to gray, kidney-shaped seeds.

Reproduction:
Seeds and root fragmentation.
Bladder campion flower Similar weeds: Bladder campion [S. vulgaris (Moench) Garcke] Differs by having a strong perennial nature, hairless stems and leaves, and globe-shaped fruiting capsules.

Nightflowering catchfly (S. noctiflora L.) Differs by having an annual habit, sticky hairs on the stems and leaves, flowers containing both male and female organs, and fruiting capsules with six teeth at the open end.
Bladder campion flower.
The MSU IPM Program maintains this site as an access point to pest management information at MSU. The IPM Program is administered within the Department of Entomology, fueled by research from the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, delivered to citizens through MSU Extension, and proud to be a part of Project GREEEN.
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02/07/08