ムシトリナデシコは花冠の下の萼筒に花蜜を貯留。花粉媒介せずに花蜜を奪おうとする虫たちを、茎の上のほうで粘液を分泌して捕らえます。
Catchfly stores nectar in the calyx under the corolla. Insects that try to steal nectar without pollination are caught by secreting mucus at the top of the stem.
【仮名】ムシトリナデシコ
【和名】虫取撫子
【英名】Catchfly, Sweet William Catchfly
【学名】Silene armeria
【誕生】04/ 16, 04/ 22
【開花】05, 06, 07月
【花色】Pink, Red
ムシトリナデシコ
ムシトリナデシコの姿
ムシトリナデシコはナデシコ科の越年草です。原産地は欧州で、日本へは江戸時代に鑑賞用で移入。各地で野生化し、日当たりの良い草地や道端などで群生しています。茎葉は全体に粉白色で、卵形の葉が対生し、葉の付け根で茎が分岐。茎先に花が平たく集まって放射状に咲きます。
ムシトリナデシコの花
ムシトリナデシコの花は花弁が５枚、雄しべが10本、雌しべの花柱が３裂です。花弁は先端が緩く２裂し、付け根に披針形の鱗片が２枚ずつ。雄しべが先に花粉を出し終えてから、雌しべが突き出て自家受粉を回避します。花後の果実は蒴果。熟すと雨で弾けて中の種子が飛散します。
ムシトリナデシコの粘液
ムシトリナデシコは茎の上のほうで粘液を分泌します。ラテン語の種名シレネもギリシャ神話の神シレーノスに由来。いつも酔っぱらって酒まみれのベトベトだったからです。この粘液に虫が引っ付くから名前が「虫取り」。ただし、虫は捕らえられても消化・吸収されたりしません。
ムシトリナデシコの花蜜
ムシトリナデシコは花冠の下の萼筒に花蜜を貯めます。そして、長い吸収菅を持つ訪花昆虫が花粉を媒介。一方、花粉を媒介しないアリなどの昆虫も花蜜を求めて地面から侵入を試みます。しかし、茎を伝って登ってきたところで粘液が捕縛。花言葉は「哀しみ」「未練」「罠」です。
Catchfly
Catchfly figure
Catchfly is an annual plant of the family Caryophyllaceae. The place of origin is Europe, and it was imported to Japan for viewing during the Edo period. It has become wild in various places and is clustered on sunny grasslands and roadsides. The stems and leaves are powdery white as a whole, and the oval-shaped leaves are opposite to each other, and the stems branch at the base of the leaves. Flowers gather flat on the tip of the stem and bloom radially.
Catchfly flowers
Catchfly flowers have 5 petals, 10 stamens, and 3 pistil styles. The petals are loosely split into two at the tip, and two lanceolate scales are at the base. After the stamens finish pollinating first, the pistils stick out to avoid self-pollination. The fruit after flowering is a capsule. When ripe, it pops in the rain and the seeds inside are scattered.
Catchfly mucus
Catchfly secretes mucus at the top of the stem. The Latin species name Silene is also derived from the Greek god Silenus. Because he was always drunk and sticky covered with fermented liquor. The name is “insect catcher” because insects stick to this mucus. However, even if insects are caught, they will not be digested or absorbed.
Catchfly nectar
Catchfly stores nectar in the calyx under the corolla. Insects visiting flowers with long absorption tubes mediate pollen. On the other hand, insects such as ants that do not transmit pollen also try to invade from the ground in search of nectar. However, they are caught by the mucus when climbing along the stem. The flower language is “sadness,” “unexperienced,” and “trap.”
