Saponaria bellidifolia?

[Lori S.]

I think this seed-grown plant (shown in the link below to the NARGS site) - which wintered over, bloomed and promptly exited - may be Saponaria bellidifolia.  Can anyone confirm or suggest the correct ID?  Thanks in advance.
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=732.0


Edit:  Acckk, I'm finding that "bellidifolia" is very hard to type correctly!

[Maggi Young]

If it's not, Lori, I think it's doing a very good impression!
See several photos here  http://www.lucoli.it/floradilucoli/Flora_erbacea_S.html ( thirteenth item down the page)

[Lori S.]

Thanks, Maggi.  Those are great photos you found.  Looks convincing...
I was wondering about the sticky stems under the flower on this plant.  Another plant I have that has been tentatively ID'd here as Saponaria x suendermanii (sp?) is also sticky around the upper stems and inflorescence, so perhaps this is not unexpected for Saponaria.

Edit:  By the way, I also got Saponaria x suendermanii (sp?) as a supposed Saponaria lutea, same as what this plant was supposed to be!  All this made me very curious to see what the heck Saponaria lutea actually looked like... and I did manage to end up with the real thing in my last attempt!

[Maggi Young]

While we tend to think of the Lychnis clan as being the really sticky "catchflies", I believe there are various Saponaria species which also exhibit this feature, having glandular sticky portions particularly  to the leaves and calyces.

[Lori S.]

Thanks, Maggi.  I think that ties up the loose ends!