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night-flowering catchfly

Habit Plants annual; taproots slender.
Stems

generally erect, 20–60(80) cm, densely hairy, glandular especially above.

Leaves

basal elliptic to oblanceolate, 6–12(14) cm × 20–45 mm; upper cauline broadly elliptic to lanceolate, 1–7 cm × 3–12 mm, gradually reduced upward.

Inflorescences

terminal; open cymes, not 1-sided;

pedicels covered with both short glandular and longer non-glandular hairs.

Flowers

bisexual, ascending to erect;

calyces ovate-elliptic, inflated in fruit, 14–22 mm;

hairs mostly glandular, prominently 10-veined;

veins netted above middle of sepal; pale commissures present;

lobes 6–13 mm;

tips acuminate;

petal claws glabrous; appendages 2;

limbs 8–9 mm, white or yellowish white to pinkish;

lobes 2, 4 mm;

stamens included;

styles 3, included.

Fruits

ovoid;

teeth 6;

stalks 1–3 mm.

Seeds

1 mm, dark brown to black, not winged.

2n

=24.

Silene stellata

Silene noctiflora

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

Open, disturbed areas, fields, lawns. Flowering May–Aug. 0–1400 m. BW, Casc, Col, Lava. CA, ID, WA; throughout North America except far north; Europe. Exotic.

First collected in Oregon from a grain field in 1907, Silene noctiflora appears to be far less common than S. latifolia, with which it is sometimes confused.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 573
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. 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. nuda, S. oregana, S. parryi, S. pectinata, S. pendula, S. scaposa, S. scouleri, S. spaldingii, S. suksdorfii, S. vulgaris
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