Plural of catchfly; multiple plants of the genus Silene or related genera, known for their sticky flowers that trap small insects.
From 'catch' + 'flies,' a descriptive compound. The plant was named because its sticky sepals and petals 'catch' small flying insects, which fertilize the flower.
Catchflies are basically Venus flytraps' cousins in the plant world—they use sticky mucus to trap insects, but unlike Venus flytraps, they don't digest them; the insects just get stuck helping with pollination, a clever accidental relationship.
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