Silene palaestina, Palestine Campion,
Hebrew: ציפורנית ארץ-ישראלית, Arabic: السيلينة الفلسطينية

Scientific name:  Silene palaestina Boiss.
Common name:   Palestine Campion
Hebrew name:  ציפורנית ארץ-ישראלית
Arabic name:  السيلينة الفلسطينية
Family:  Caryophyllaceae, Carnation family, ציפורניים

Israel native Plants

Life form:  Therophyte, annual
Leaves:  Opposite, entire
Flowers:  Red, pink, violet
Flowering Period:   March, April, May
Habitat:   Batha, Phrygana, Sand
Distribution:  Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Montane vegetation of Mt. Hermon
Chorotype:  Mediterranean
Summer shedding:  Ephemeral

Silene palaestina, Palestine Campion, ציפורנית ארץ-ישראלית


Derivation of the botanical name:
Silene, probably from Greek sialon, "saliva," referring to gummy exudation on stems, and/or named for Silenus, intoxicated foster-father of Bacchus (god of wine) who was covered with foam, much like the glandular secretions of many species of this genus.
palaestina, of or from Palestine.
The Hebrew name: צפרנית, tsipornit, from ציפורן, tsiporen (Dianthus).
  • The standard author abbreviation Boiss. is used to indicate Pierre Edmond Boissier (1810 – 1885), a Swiss botanist, explorer and mathematician.



Silene palaestina, Palestine Campion, السيلينة الفلسطينية,ציפורנית ארץ-ישראלית