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Silene acaulis

moss campion

Habit Plants perennial, mat-forming; caudices woody.
Stems

erect, 3–6(10) cm;

branches many, glabrous.

Leaves

mostly basal, crowded, linear-subulate to lanceolate, 0.4–1 cm × 0.8–1.5 mm.

Inflorescences

flowers solitary;

pedicels glabrous or glandular hairy.

Flowers

bisexual or unisexual; erect;

calyces tubular to campanulate, 7–10 mm, glabrous, obscurely 10-veined, not netted above; pale commissures absent, not inflated in fruit;

lobes 1–2 mm;

tips obtuse; appendages vestigial;

limbs 2.5–3.5 mm, bright pink, rarely white; entire or lobes 2;

stamens exserted (staminate flowers) or not (pistillate flowers);

styles 3, exserted.

Fruits

cylindric;

teeth 6;

stalks 1 mm.

Seeds

0.8–1 mm, light brown, not winged.

2n

=24.

Silene acaulis

Silene rectiramea

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Bare rocky slopes, alpine summits, gravel bars. Flowering Jul–Aug. 1600–3000 m. BW. ID, NV, WA; western and northern North America; eastern Asia, Europe. Native.

Silene acaulis is a variable, circumpolar species. Although our material is often cited as variety exscapa, we follow Morton (2005) in not recognizing infraspecific taxa.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 568
Rich Rabeler, Ronald Hartman
Sibling taxa
S. antirrhina, S. bernardina, S. bolanderi, S. bridgesii, S. campanulata, S. conoidea, S. dichotoma, S. dioica, S. douglasii, S. gallica, S. grayi, S. hookeri, S. latifolia, S. lemmonii, S. menziesii, S. noctiflora, S. nuda, S. oregana, S. parryi, S. pectinata, S. pendula, S. scaposa, S. scouleri, S. spaldingii, S. suksdorfii, S. vulgaris
S. acaulis, S. antirrhina, S. bernardina, S. bolanderi, S. bridgesii, S. campanulata, S. conoidea, S. dichotoma, S. dioica, S. douglasii, S. gallica, S. grayi, S. hookeri, S. latifolia, S. lemmonii, S. menziesii, S. noctiflora, S. nuda, S. oregana, S. parryi, S. pectinata, S. pendula, S. scaposa, S. scouleri, S. spaldingii, S. suksdorfii, S. vulgaris
Synonyms Silene acaulis var. exscapa
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