Bladder Campion
Silene vulgaris

Bladder Campion, also known as Bird's Eggs or Maiden's Tears, is an unusual wild flower that has inflated sepals giving it the appearance of bladders or old-fashioned bloomers, making it very easy to identify. The five-notched petals are relatively small and they bloom between May and August. It is a native perennial of rough ground at the edge of fields and roads and grassy places, often on slightly disturbed, dry chalky soil. It forms in sprawling clumps and has waxy, glaucous leaves with a prominent midrib which terminate in a slight point. The word Silene originates from the Greek sialon, which means saliva, and it refers to both the viscous secretion on the stems and to Silenus, the intoxicated foster-father of Bacchus (God of wine) who was covered with foam. This plant contains Saponins which are toxic to some animals, and traditionally, hunting tribes add large quantities of them in streams in order to stun or kill the fish.