Ragged-Robin
Lychnis flos-cuculi
Summary 7
Lychnis flos-cuculi, commonly called Ragged Robin, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is species is native to Europe, where it is found along roads and in wet meadows and pastures. In Britain it has declined in numbers because of modern farming techniques and draining of wet-lands and is no longer common. However, Lychnis flos-cuculi has become naturalized in parts of the northern United States and eastern Canada and has been listed as...
National distribution 8
Canada
Origin: ExoticRegularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Unknown/Undetermined
Confidence: Confident
United States
Origin: ExoticRegularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Unknown/Undetermined
Confidence: Confident
Synonym 9
Lychnis flos-cuculi Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 436. 1753; Coronaria flos-cuculi (Linnaeus) A. Braun
National nature serve conservation status 10
Canada
Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not ApplicableUnited States
Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not ApplicableTaxon biology 11
Ragged robin (see picture) is fairly common along roadsides and wet fields. Its latin name Lychnis flos-cuculi, as well as many of its foreign names, makes a reference to the cuckoo bird. Some people say that the flower blossoms when the first cuckoo is heard. But that's not necessarily the case. The name really refers to the froth often found on the plant. It was believed to be spit from the cuckoo. However, the froth is made by the meadow spittlebug during its nymph stage. The red and white campions and the ragged robin are common wild flowers, which sometimes cross-pollinate.
Sources and Credits
- (c) AnneTanne, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/78746377@N00/2494741495
- (c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/photos/JCS-Lychnis-flos-cuculi-52865.JPG
- (c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/photos/JCS-Lychnis-flos-cuculi-52855.JPG
- (c) licensed media from BioImages DwCA without owner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/../image.php?id=13771
- (c) licensed media from BioImages DwCA without owner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/../image.php?id=12943
- (c) licensed media from BioImages DwCA without owner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/../image.php?id=12944
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lychnis_flos-cuculi
- (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/29038528
- (c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/19794601
- (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/29038526
- (c) Copyright Ecomare, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/22757922
