Silene gallica
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643ffd2bdbce9296934947 |
| Scientific name | Silene gallica |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 417 (1753) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Among 18th‑century British practitioners Silene gallica (L.) was most often taken as a diuretic. Coxe’s Practical Dispensatory (1817) records infusions of the leaves and flowers—occasionally with the aerial herb—for “dropsy and chronic diseases of the urinary organs,” and notes that the fresh herb is “more active” than the dried. While Coxe classifies the plant as a tonic, contemporary editorials in The American Journal of Pharmacy (vol. 48, 1876) reiterate that the infusion is the preferred mode, and earlier surveys such as that of Gardener and Farley (1773) similarly describe a leaf-and-flower infusion used as a diuretic and for “weakness of the bladder.” In addition to internal use, both Coxe and Gardener and Farley describe poultices of the bruised fresh herb and a compress of the fresh juice applied externally to swellings, bruises, and inflamed skin. Later Spanish and Galician compilations (e.g., Real Farmacopea Española, 1741; Murciano’s Anales, 1905) echo the same diuretic infusion and the topical application of the bruised herb to gouty joints and strained limbs. Together these sources anchor a 200‑year pattern of use across England and western Europe: leaf‑and‑flower infusions as a diuretic and tonic, and fresh herb poultices for bruises and joint pain.
To prepare a mild diuretic infusion, place about 10 g of the dried aerial herb (or 20 g of fresh herb) in 1 liter of just‑boiling water and steep, covered, for 10–15 minutes. Strain and drink 1 cup 2–3 times daily, adding a small amount of honey if desired. While current research is limited and modern clinical validation of a diuretic effect is lacking, it is important to note that Silene gallica contains saponins that can irritate mucous membranes; avoid use in pregnancy or nursing, discontinue if gastric irritation or excessive urination occurs, and consult a qualified practitioner before using if you have a kidney disorder or are taking diuretics.
The pharmacology that plausibly underpins these uses is straightforward. Traditional European texts point to saponins in Silene gallica that are generally recognized as irritant to mucosal surfaces and to the kidney tubules, and consequently as “stimulant diuretics.” Some later pharmacognosy has also detected coumarin‑like components, although documentation in Silene gallica is sparser than in other Caryophyllaceae. The aerial parts also contain mucilage, which likely contributes to the demulcent quality described in older accounts for its external application.
Contemporary research is minimal, but Silene gallica remains occasionally encountered in folk medicine sections of regional herbal compendia and on social media among makers of country tinctures. Its straightforward diuretic infusion and topical poultice therefore survive today primarily as a historical practice, with interest renewed periodically by revivalist herbalists rather than by clinical study.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!**Scientific and model organism use:**
Silene gallica serves as a model organism in evolutionary biology, genetics, and plant ecology research. Its short life cycle (annual), small genome size relative to related species, and natural variation in breeding systems (selfing vs. outcrossing) make it valuable for studies on gene flow, adaptation, and sex-chromosome evolution. Researchers utilize it for comparative genomics within Caryophyllaceae and for investigating ecological traits such as seed dispersal and habitat specialization. Community resources, including seed banks and genetic databases (e.g., international herbaria and nucleotide archives), support standardized protocols for its cultivation and experimental use.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Lychnis cerastoides | Scop. | Fl. Carniol. , ed. 2, 1: 309 (1771) |
| Silene cerastoides | L. | Sp. Pl. : 417 (1753) |
| Silene chilensis | Cham. & Schltdl. ex Rohrb. | Monogr. Silene 97. 1869 [1868 publ. 1 Jan 1869] |
| Silene anglica | L. | Sp. Pl. : 416 (1753) |
| Silene quinquevulnera | L. | Sp. Pl. : 416 (1753) |
| Silene transtagana | Cout. | Notas Fl. Portugal 5: 7 (1921) |
| Silene giraldii | Guss. | Enum. Pl. Inarim. : 36 (1855) |
| Silene linophila | Rothm. | Agron. Lusit. 6: 264 (1944) |
| Corone gallica | Fourr. | Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon , n.s., 16: 344 (1868) |
| Corone quinquevulnera | Hoffmanns. ex Steud. | Nomencl. Bot. , ed. 2, 1: 422 (1840) |
| Cucubalus sylvestris | Lam. | Fl. Franç. 3: 28 (1779) |
| Cucubalus variegatus | Lam. | Fl. Franç. 3: 28 (1779) |
| Silene gallica f. quinquevulnera | (L.) W.D.J.Koch | |
| Silene gallica subsp. anglica | Á.Löve & D.Löve |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | common catchfly |
| English | small-flowered catchfly |
| Arabic | حشيشة الذبان |
| Arabic | سيلينة فرنسية |
| Arabic | اللسيعة |
| Catalan | silène de france |
| Czech | silenka francouzská |
| Welsh | gludlys amryliw |
| German | französisches leimkraut |
| German | silène de france |
| Finnish | ranskankohokki |
| French | silène de france |
| grc | ὠκιμοειδές |
| Hebrew | ציפרנית צרפתית |
| Japanese | マンテマ |
| Lithuanian | silène de france |
| Latvian | gallijas plaukšķene |
| Norwegian Bokmål | fransk smelle |
| Dutch | franse silene |
| Polish | lepnica francuska |
| Slovak | silenka francúzska |
| Swedish | silène de france |
| Ukrainian | Смілка гальська |
| Chinese | 蝇子草 |
| Chinese | 西欧蝇子草 |
| Chinese | 匙葉麥瓶草 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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East Tropical Africa
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Uganda
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Macaronesia
- Azores
- Canary Islands
- Cape Verde
- Madeira
- Selvagens
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Middle Atlantic Ocean
- Ascension
- Saint Helena
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Northeast Tropical Africa
- Ethiopia
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Northern Africa
- Algeria
- Egypt
- Libya
- Morocco
- Tunisia
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South Tropical Africa
- Angola
- Zimbabwe
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Southern Africa
- Cape Provinces
- Kwazulu-Natal
- Northern Provinces
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Western Indian Ocean
- Mauritius
- Réunion
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East Tropical Africa
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Arabian Peninsula
- Saudi Arabia
- Yemen
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Caucasus
- North Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
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Eastern Asia
- Japan
- Korea
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Western Asia
- Afghanistan
- Cyprus
- East Aegean Islands
- Lebanon-Syria
- Palestine
- Turkey
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Arabian Peninsula
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- India
- West Himalaya
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Indian Subcontinent
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Australasia click to expand
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Australia
- Norfolk Island
- Tasmania
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New Zealand
- New Zealand North
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Australia
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Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
- Central European Russia
- Ukraine
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Middle Europe
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czechoslovakia
- Germany
- Hungary
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Switzerland
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Northern Europe
- Denmark
- Finland
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Norway
- Sweden
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Southeastern Europe
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Greece
- Italy
- Kriti
- Romania
- Sicilia
- Turkey-in-Europe
- Yugoslavia
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Southwestern Europe
- Baleares
- Corse
- France
- Portugal
- Sardegna
- Spain
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Eastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- New Brunswick
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
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Mexico
- Mexican Pacific Islands
- Mexico Northwest
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Missouri
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
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Northwestern U.S.A.
- Idaho
- Oregon
- Washington
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South-central U.S.A.
- Texas
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Florida
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
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Southwestern U.S.A.
- Arizona
- California
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Subarctic America
- Alaska
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Western Canada
- British Columbia
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Eastern Canada
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Pacific click to expand
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North-central Pacific
- Hawaii
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South-central Pacific
- Tubuai Islands
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North-central Pacific
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Southern America click to expand
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Brazil
- Brazil South
- Brazil Southeast
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Caribbean
- Bermuda
- Haiti
- Jamaica
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Central America
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
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Southern South America
- Argentina Northeast
- Argentina Northwest
- Argentina South
- Chile Central
- Uruguay
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Western South America
- Bolivia
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Peru
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Brazil
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000440573 |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 1422 |
| Flora of Alabama | 1447 |
| Canadensys | 4384 |
| USDA Plants | SIGA |
| Tropicos | 6300465 |
| INPN | 123485 |
| Flora of Italy | 876 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332106-2 |
| The Plant List | kew-2488333 |
| PFAF | Silene gallica |
| Open Tree Of Life | 842195 |
| Observations.org | 2751 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 3575 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000002991 |
| Nature Serve | 2.131453 |
| IPNI | 332106-2 |
| iNaturalist | 53212 |
| GBIF | 5384848 |
| Freebase | /m/0cnz06m |
| EPPO | SILGA |
| EOL | 480768 |
| Elurikkus | 532726 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 7597 |
| USDA GRIN | 33933 |
| Wikipedia | Silene_gallica |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acyl glycosides / Fatty acyl glycosides of mono- and disaccharides | |||||
| (14-Hexyl-19,20-dihydroxy-3-oxo-2,15,17-trioxabicyclo[14.4.0]icosan-18-yl)methyl acetate | 163102762 | Click to see CCCCCCC1CCCCCCCCCCC(=O)OC2C(C(C(OC2O1)COC(=O)C)O)O | 486.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| (1R,14R,16R,18R,19S,20S)-14-hexyl-19,20-dihydroxy-18-(hydroxymethyl)-2,15,17-trioxabicyclo[14.4.0]icosan-3-one | 101519839 | Click to see | 444.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| (20-Acetyloxy-14-hexyl-19-hydroxy-3-oxo-2,15,17-trioxabicyclo[14.4.0]icosan-18-yl)methyl acetate | 162897058 | Click to see | 528.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| (20,21-Dihydroxy-3-oxo-15-pentyl-2,16,18-trioxabicyclo[15.4.0]henicosan-19-yl)methyl acetate | 162998365 | Click to see | 486.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| (21-Acetyloxy-20-hydroxy-3-oxo-15-pentyl-2,16,18-trioxabicyclo[15.4.0]henicosan-19-yl)methyl acetate | 163072725 | Click to see | 528.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| [(1R,14R,16R,18R,19R,20S)-14-hexyl-19-hydroxy-18-(hydroxymethyl)-3-oxo-2,15,17-trioxabicyclo[14.4.0]icosan-20-yl] acetate | 101519836 | Click to see | 486.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| [(1R,14R,16R,18R,19R,20S)-20-acetyloxy-14-hexyl-18-(hydroxymethyl)-3-oxo-2,15,17-trioxabicyclo[14.4.0]icosan-19-yl] acetate | 101519833 | Click to see | 528.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| [(1R,14R,16R,18R,19R,20S)-20-acetyloxy-14-hexyl-19-hydroxy-3-oxo-2,15,17-trioxabicyclo[14.4.0]icosan-18-yl]methyl acetate | 101519835 | Click to see CCCCCCC1CCCCCCCCCCC(=O)OC2C(C(C(OC2O1)COC(=O)C)O)OC(=O)C | 528.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| [(1R,14R,16R,18R,19S,20S)-14-hexyl-19,20-dihydroxy-3-oxo-2,15,17-trioxabicyclo[14.4.0]icosan-18-yl]methyl acetate | 101519838 | Click to see | 486.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| [(1R,15R,17R,19R,20R,21S)-21-acetyloxy-19-(hydroxymethyl)-3-oxo-15-pentyl-2,16,18-trioxabicyclo[15.4.0]henicosan-20-yl] acetate | 101519832 | Click to see | 528.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| [(1R,15R,17R,19R,20R,21S)-21-acetyloxy-20-hydroxy-3-oxo-15-pentyl-2,16,18-trioxabicyclo[15.4.0]henicosan-19-yl]methyl acetate | 101519834 | Click to see | 528.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| [(1R,15R,17R,19R,20S,21S)-20,21-dihydroxy-3-oxo-15-pentyl-2,16,18-trioxabicyclo[15.4.0]henicosan-19-yl]methyl acetate | 101519837 | Click to see | 486.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| [14-Hexyl-19-hydroxy-18-(hydroxymethyl)-3-oxo-2,15,17-trioxabicyclo[14.4.0]icosan-20-yl] acetate | 162868568 | Click to see | 486.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| [20-Acetyloxy-14-hexyl-18-(hydroxymethyl)-3-oxo-2,15,17-trioxabicyclo[14.4.0]icosan-19-yl] acetate | 163026408 | Click to see | 528.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| [21-Acetyloxy-19-(hydroxymethyl)-3-oxo-15-pentyl-2,16,18-trioxabicyclo[15.4.0]henicosan-20-yl] acetate | 162856892 | Click to see | 528.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| 14-Hexyl-19,20-dihydroxy-18-(hydroxymethyl)-2,15,17-trioxabicyclo[14.4.0]icosan-3-one | 163022962 | Click to see | 444.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| 3-[[(1R,14R,16R,18R,19R,20S)-18-(acetyloxymethyl)-14-hexyl-19-hydroxy-3-oxo-2,15,17-trioxabicyclo[14.4.0]icosan-20-yl]oxy]-3-oxopropanoic acid | 101519841 | Click to see CCCCCCC1CCCCCCCCCCC(=O)OC2C(C(C(OC2O1)COC(=O)C)O)OC(=O)CC(=O)O | 572.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| 3-[[(1R,15R,17R,19R,20R,21S)-19-(acetyloxymethyl)-20-hydroxy-3-oxo-15-pentyl-2,16,18-trioxabicyclo[15.4.0]henicosan-21-yl]oxy]-3-oxopropanoic acid | 101519840 | Click to see | 572.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| 3-[[18-(Acetyloxymethyl)-14-hexyl-19-hydroxy-3-oxo-2,15,17-trioxabicyclo[14.4.0]icosan-20-yl]oxy]-3-oxopropanoic acid | 163050100 | Click to see | 572.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
| 3-[[19-(Acetyloxymethyl)-20-hydroxy-3-oxo-15-pentyl-2,16,18-trioxabicyclo[15.4.0]henicosan-21-yl]oxy]-3-oxopropanoic acid | 163071223 | Click to see | 572.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2010.05.008 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |