Silene conoidea
Large sand catchfly, Large Sand Catchfly
(c) Zinogre, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Silene conoidea (Large sand catchfly) is a non-native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by . Key features: tall non-native annual, ~30-veined calyx, large petals, disturbed habitats.
Large sand catchfly is a naturalized annual found in northern Sierra Nevada, southern California, and desert regions of southern California in disturbed, open areas at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering in early summer, this plant produces white, pink, or pale purple flowers with delicate petals 8 to 12 millimeters long. Growing 50 to 80 centimeters tall with erect stems that are puberulent and glandular toward the upper parts, it has a distinctive upward-tapering leaf structure. Its leaves range from lower lance-shaped blades 5 to 12 centimeters long to smaller upper leaves 1 to 8 centimeters long, gradually reducing in width from 5 to 10 millimeters to 3 to 8 millimeters. The fruit is an ovoid to conical capsule borne on a short stalk 1 to 2.5 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 19 sympatric species. Key features: tall non-native annual, ~30-veined calyx, large petals, disturbed habitats.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Disturbed, open areas
Elevation: < 500 m
Outside California: to British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Missouri, Texas, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Silene conoidea blooms Early summer.
How to tell it apart
vs Spigelia: Silene has 5 separate petals in pink family arrangement; Spigelia has tubular red flowers with 5-lobed tips.; vs Pelargonium: Silene has radially symmetric flowers with 5 equal petals; Pelargonium has bilateral flowers with unequal petals.; vs Cistanthe: Silene has a tubular calyx fused around the flower; Cistanthe has 2 separate, rounded sepals that fall off.; vs Castilleja: Silene has showy petals; Castilleja's color comes from bracts hiding tiny tubular flowers.; vs Petrorhagia: Silene has an inflated, rounded calyx tube; Petrorhagia has a narrow, cylindrical calyx with papery bracts below.
Frequently asked questions
Is Silene conoidea native to California?
No. Silene conoidea is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Silene conoidea bloom?
Silene conoidea blooms Early summer.
What plant family does Silene conoidea belong to?
Silene conoidea is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Silene.
What habitat does Silene conoidea grow in?
Silene conoidea grows in Uncommon. Disturbed, open areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.