| Bladder Campion | Campion family |
| Silene vulgaris | Caryophyllaceae |
Bladder Campion is a showy plant of dry banks and open grassland, often on chalk.
The flowers have a characteristic "bladder", this being an inflated calyx.
It is a variable plant, and has many similarities with White Campion,
but it has 3 styles (instead of 5), male and female parts on the same flower, drooping flowers,
the inflated calyx, and it is generally less hairy.
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| Bladder (inflated calyx) | Smooth leaves | Hairy leaves |
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Technical Information
Perennial herb, up to 90cm tall Leaves: pointed-oval, greyish Calyx: ribbed, inflated like a bladder Flowers: drooping, 16-20mm across, deeply-cleft non-overlapping white petals. 3 styles Flowering time: May-September Habitat: Dry grass, open ground Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain, but commoner in South and rarer in North |