Silene conoidea
L.
Caryophyllaceae
Conosilene conica conoidea (L.) Á.Löve & Kjellq.
Conosilene conoidea Fourr.
Cucubalus conoideus Lam.
Common Name: Large Sand Catchfly
General Information
Silene conoidea is an erect, annual plant with a solitary stem that is usually branched in the upper half; it can grow 25 - 60cm tall[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
1548- Title
- Flora Iberica
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.floraiberica.es
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Published in book form, the treatments of the various species have also been released on-line in PDF format. Records entered here are all from the on-line PDFs.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine
Known Hazards
Although no mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, it does contain saponins.
Although poisonous, saponins also have a range of medicinal applications and many saponin-rich plants are used in herbalism (particularly as emetics, expectorants and febrifuges) or as sources of raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry. Saponins are also found in a number of common foods, such as many beans.
Saponins have a quite bitter flavour and are in general poorly absorbed by the human body, so most pass through without harm. They can be removed by carefully leaching in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of raw foods that contain saponins.
Saponins are much more toxic to many cold-blooded creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish and make them easy to catch[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Botanical References
17- Title
- Flora of the British Isles.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
,
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
1548- Title
- Flora Iberica
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.floraiberica.es
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Published in book form, the treatments of the various species have also been released on-line in PDF format. Records entered here are all from the on-line PDFs.
Range
Southwest Europe - France, Spain; N. Africa - Morocco o Egypt; Asia - Caucasus to Arabia, east to Mongolia, western China, Himalayas to Nepal
Habitat
A casual of waste ground in Britain[
17- Title
- Flora of the British Isles.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
]. Amongst crops and crop stubble, grasslands, road margins etc, in both sandy and loamy soils; at elevations up to 1,600 metres[
1548- Title
- Flora Iberica
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.floraiberica.es
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Published in book form, the treatments of the various species have also been released on-line in PDF format. Records entered here are all from the on-line PDFs.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Annual |
| Height | 0.40 m |
| Pollinators | Lepidoptera, Bees |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Species in this genus generally grow well in a sunny position in a well-drained but moisture-retentive fertile soil[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The plant is said to be emollient and is used in baths or as a fumigant[
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
].
The juice of the plant is used in the treatment of ophthalmia[
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - can be started off in spring in trays in a greenhouse and then planted out in late spring or early summer. Can also be sown in situ in spring.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
