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| Online Flora of the Maltese Islands by Stephen Mifsud |
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Silene colorata (Pink Pirouette) |
Silene colorata (CARYOPHYLLACEAE.)
Images for this profile are taken from the Maltese Islands after year 2000.
Website launch: Oct-2002
Taxonomic update: Aug-2026
Code update: Jul-2026 |
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| Nomenclature and General Information |
Species name : |
Silene colorataPoir.
Published in Voy. Barb. 2: 163 (1789) |
Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.) |
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Plant Family : |
Caryophyllaceae Juss. (The Pink or Carnation Family)
39 species from the Caryophyllaceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands. | English name(s) : | Pink Pirouette, Dwarf Pink Star, Mediterranean Catchfly |
Maltese name(s) : |
Ilsien l-għasfur, Sieq iz-Zakak |
Status for Malta : |
Indigenous. Present on the Maltese islands before man |
Frequency : |
Very Common Common Frequent Scarce Rare Very rare Extinct |
Growth form : |
Germination type [info]: Dicotyledon
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Therophyte ( annual plants, herbaceous, die after fruiting/seeding stage ) |
Legal Protection : |
Not legally protected till the last update of this website (22/Aug/2025) |
Red List (1989) : |
Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands |
Flowering Time : |
December – May |
Colour of Flowers: |
Pink or Violet |
Toxicity: |
Not particularly toxic |
Name Derivation : |
Silene: "probably from the Greek ""sialon"" (=saliva) referring to the viscous excretion of several species. Another derivation could come from the name Silenus, the intoxicated foster-father of Bacchus (god of wine) who was covered with foam, much like the glandular secretions of many species of this genus". (Greek origin)
colorata: having a bright colour with reference to the deep magenta-purple colour of the flowers. (Latin origin)
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Planting in rural areas : |
Can be planted in rural areas according to ERA Guidelines |
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Description, Habitat and Distribution | |
Botanical Description |
Whole plant pubescent or puberulent. Stems 10-50 cm, decumbent to erect, branched. Leaves linear to ovate-spathulate. Pedicels shorter than calyx; bracts of a pair usually unequal. Calyx 11-13(-17) mm, cylindrical, becoming broadly clavate in fruit; teeth ovate, obtuse, densely ciliate. Petal-limb 5-9 mm, pink or white. Capsule 7-9 mm, ovoid; carpophore 5-7 mm. Seeds 1-1.5 mm, dark chestnut-brown. | |
Habitat in Europe |
Data will be available in the next update of this website.
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Preferred habitat in Malta |
Rocky waysides, uncultivated fields, garigue with enough deep soil, traffic islands.
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Chromosome number(s) |
2n=24 | |
Distributional range |
S. Europe
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Distributional maps from various sources |
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Occurrences in Europe
(from Flora Europaea till 1993) |
Albania, Corse, Crete, Greece, Spain (incl. Andorra but excl. the Balaerics), Italy (mainland, excl. Sicily and Sardinia), Portugal, Sardinia, Sicily and/or Malta, Turkey (European part)
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Occurrences in Europe
(from Euro+Med Checklist till 2024)
Country codes
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? AE Ag Al Bu dCa(F L) dCo Cr Cy Eg Gr Hs(S) IJ It Li LS Lu Ma Sa Si(M S) Sn Tn Tu(A E)
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| Links & Further literature
(2 papers) |
Google Web |
Google Images |
Google Scholar |
Research Gate |
Wikipedia |
JSTOR |
GBIF |
Med Checklist |
Cat. of Life |
EoL |
IPNI |
World Flora Online |
Plants of the World Online |
Vienna Virt. Herb. |
RBGE Herbarium |
KEW Herbarium |
MNHN |
Garden Database |
IUCN |
TROPICOS |
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A new species of Silene sect. Dipterosperma (Caryophyllaceae) from Malta |
Salvatore Brullo, Cristian Brullo, Salvatore Cambria, Edwin Lanfranco, Sandro Lanfranco, Pietro Minissale, Saverio Sciandrello And Gianpietro Giusso Del Galdo (2012) |
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A new species of Silene sect. Dipterosperma (Caryophyllaceae) from Sicily |
Cristian Brullo, Salvatore Brullo*, Gianpietro Giusso del Galdo, Vincenzo Ilardi & Saverio Sciandrello (2012) |
Kindly Email if there are papers and publications about local
studies or information about this species to be included in the list above.
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Sales and Donations
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Sales of seeds of wild plant from Malta: Seeds of selected wild plant species may be available for academic studies, research purposes, or personal use. Please note that not all species can be supplied or exported. Availability is subject to seasonal seed production, stock levels, and applicable regulations, including Maltese legislation and CITES requirements where relevant. Protected and endemic species cannot be sold (at least without the relevant environmental permits).
How it works: First, submit a quotation request by completing the Online Quotation Form (link provided on the right side of this table). Once your request has been reviewed, you will receive confirmation regarding seed availability, export eligibility (where applicable), pricing, and any transport charges. Payments are accepted by Revolut, bank transfer (IBAN), or PayPal only; credit and debit card payments are not accepted.
Please note that local orders are currently not being accepted. Seek Maltese nurseries and NGOs for local orders.
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Online Quotation (Seeds)
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Buy Images: Purchase photographs from this extensive online collection of Maltese flora by Stephen Mifsud. Images are available at reasonable prices, with rates varying according to image size and resolution. Your purchase helps support the maintenance and development of this website. When placing an order, please note the image code displayed beneath each photograph on the corresponding species page, as this is required when completing the online order form. Images are normally supplied under a license agreement, with copyright retained by the author; however, the sale of copyright for exceptional images may be considered on request.
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Online Purchase (Images)
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| Contribute Information or Report Errors |
Use this form to submit additional information about this species or to report any inaccuracies on this webpage.
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Atlas Flora Europaea
GBIF Distribution Map
WFO Distribution map
