Lobos Creek Dunes and Valley  Wildflowers and Flowering Shrubs

San Francisco Campion / Dolores Campion (Silene verecunda ssp. verecunda) Pink (Caryophyllaceae) Family Biennial Bloom times: approx April - June

I have seen only two groups of these. The plants were about 2 feet high with lots of flowers. This is a magnified photo, the flower was perhaps 3/8ths of an inch high and had 5 notched petals. The flowers start out as white and become pinkish as they age. According to a 1996 Presidio Volunteer Voice article, the San Francisco Campion's population in the Presidio was only 7 plants in 1985. It was brought up to 200 by 1996. These have been difficult to transplant to new sites.

Another enlarged photograph of the Campion shows its stout profile, looking like little squat barrels. The tube is sticky on the outside which accounts for the common name of "catchfly" for flowers in this group. There are a lot of Windmill Pinks (Silene gallica), a non-native Campion at Lobos. They have a smaller flower and thin tube.