catchfly

catch·fly

C0158000 (kăch′flī′, kĕch′-)n. Any of several plants of the genera Silene and Lychnis, native chiefly to the Northern Hemisphere and having white, pink, red, or purplish flowers and sticky stems and calyces on which small insects may become stuck.

catchfly

(ˈkætʃˌflaɪ) n, pl -flies (Plants) any of several caryophyllaceous plants of the genus Silene that have sticky calyxes and stems on which insects are sometimes trapped

catch•fly

(ˈkætʃˌflaɪ)

n., pl. -flies. any of various plants of the pink family, esp. of the genera Silene and Lychnis, that have a viscid secretion on the stem and calyx in which insects are sometimes caught. [1590–1600]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	catchfly - any plant of the genus Silene campion, sileneflower - a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossomsgenus Silene - large widely distributed genus of plants having mostly showy flowers of various colors: campion; catchflymoss campion, Silene acaulis - tuft- or mat-forming dwarf perennial of Arctic regions of western and central Europe and North AmericaSilene caroliniana, wild pink - perennial of eastern and central North America having short-stalked pink or white flowers in hairy clustersLychnis dioica, red bird's eye, red campion, Silene dioica - biennial European catchfly having red or pink flowers; sometimes placed in genus Lychnisevening lychnis, Lychnis alba, Silene latifolia, white campion, white cockle, bladder campion - bluish-green herb having sticky stems and clusters of large evening-opening white flowers with much-inflated calyx; sometimes placed in genus Lychnisfire pink, Silene virginica - perennial herb of eastern North America, having red flowers with narrow notched petalsbladder campion, Silene uniflora, Silene vulgaris - perennial of Arctic Europe having large white flowers with inflated calyx
	2.	catchfly - mostly perennial herbs with sticky stems that catch insects; widespread in north temperate zonelychnisflower - a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossomsgenus Lychnis - genus of plants strongly resembling those of genus Silene: catchflyLychins floscuculi, Lychnis flos-cuculi, ragged robin, cuckoo flower - common perennial native to Europe and western Asia having usually pink flowers with ragged petalsLychins chalcedonica, maltese cross, scarlet lychnis - Eurasian garden perennial having scarlet flowers in dense terminal headsgardener's delight, Lychnis coronaria, mullein pink, rose campion, dusty miller - an old cottage garden plant of southeastern Europe widely cultivated for its attractive white woolly foliage and showy crimson flowers