365 Urban Species. #155: White Lychnis

[urbpan]

Photos by cottonmanifesto. Location: Fence at parking lot for Brookline Water and Sewer Division.

Urban species #155: White lychnis Lychnis alba

Flowers exist to be pollinated. It is joyous chance that what we agree with bees and butterflies about what makes a flower attractive. These insects fly by day, and the sun reflects an array of colors on flowers, some that even our large eyes are blind to. Many flowers even close their petals at night. But other plants have chosen other partners to spread their pollen. Flowers that are pollinated by moths have no need for yellows and purples--they wouldn't be seen by their night-flying partners. So it is with white lychnis: their bright colorless flowers bloom at night.

Other common names for this plant include evening lychnis, white cockle, and white campion. It is easy to confuse with several close relatives with similar common names. White lychnis was introduced from Europe, and has spread to become naturalized across North America. It grows in vacant lots, fields, and wet waste areas.

Comments

[phlogiston-5.livejournal.com]

What a lovely flower. Haven't seen that one before. I'll be on the lookout now though. I would think it probably occurs in NJ too.

[momomom.livejournal.com]

Well, we have it in Maryland so you are in the middle and likely have it too.

off-topic

[artemii.livejournal.com]

dear urbpan,

i like to think of you as lj's go-to centipede guy. i currently have a Scutigera coleoptrata freaking out in my kitchen sink because it has been unable so far to manage to climb out of it. is just leaving it alone to get out on its own the best course of action? if not, any advice on how to catch it? thank you.

sincerely,
artemii

Re: off-topic

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

lol!! i've never known them to actually get stuck anywhere. i'm guessing it's probably found its way out by now. :)

Re: off-topic

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

If it's still there (and unless it went down the drain, I assume it is) I'll give you the best piece of advice for catching small nocturnal animals: Paper towel tubes. This is what I use at work when a mouse gets loose. Nocturnal animals want to get back in the safety of the dark. If you hold the tube still and then try to hustle the centipede toward it with your other hand (hold a saucer or an index card or something if you don't want your hand near it) the centipede will hopefully head toward into the tube. You may want to pinch one end of the tube shut beforehand so that the centipede doesn't just shoot out the other end at you.

Good luck!!

Re: off-topic

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

centipede cannon!! :)

Re: off-topic

[artemii.livejournal.com]

thanks! in the future i'll use that :)

i built it a little bridge out of the sink. it was still in when i left this morning but when i got back it was gone. no idea whether it went down the drain or used the little bridge.

and yes - the shooting out the other end was why i didn't do that. :) in the future i'll pinch the end!

[tabulimanzi.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this!! I was trying to identify this flower and saw your image in a google search