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mountain catchfly, Palmer's catchfly

Habit Plants perennial; caudices woody.
Stems

erect, 15–55 cm;

branches generally few, puberulent to short-hairy, glandular above.

Leaves

basal leaves tufted or not, linear to oblanceolate, 2–8 cm × 2–6 mm;

cauline leaves usually linear, 1–6 cm × 1–4 mm, gradually reduced upward; upper leaves not overlapping pedicels.

Inflorescences

terminal and axillary; open cymes, not 1-sided;

pedicels glandular hairy.

Flowers

bisexual; erect;

calyces tubular, not inflated in fruit, 12–15 mm, glandular-puberulent, 10-veined, not netted above; pale commissures present; commissural veins fork above and fuse with lobe veins;

lobes 2–3.5 mm;

tips acute;

petal claws ciliate at base; appendages 2, deeply divided;

limbs 4–6 mm, white, pink, or reddish;

lobes 4, 1.5–3.5 mm;

stamens slightly exserted;

styles 3(4), equaling petal claws or slightly exserted.

Fruits

ellipsoid;

teeth 6(8);

stalks 2–5 mm.

Seeds

1.5–2 mm, brown, not winged.

2n

=48.

Silene stellata

Silene bernardina

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

Dry meadows and woods. Flowering Jul–Aug. 1500–2300 m. Casc, Sisk. CA, ID, NV, WA; south to Mexico. Native.

Silene bernardina is a variable species and can be sometimes be difficult to distinguish from S. oregana. We follow Morton (2005) in not trying to apply infraspecific concepts.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 568
Rich Rabeler, Ronald Hartman
Sibling taxa
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
S. acaulis, S. antirrhina, 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 bernardina var. rigidula, Silene montana
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