Silene dioica
Silene drummondii
red campion, red catchfly, silène dioïque
Drummond's campion, Drummond's catchfly, fork catchfly
ascending, decumbent at base, branched, shortly rhizomatous, to 80 cm, softly pubescent, ± glandular, at least distally, rarely subglabrous.
erect, simple or several from base, retrorsely puberulent proximally, densely so and viscid distally, with stipitate glands.
sessile at mid and distal stem, petiolate to spatulate proximally;
petiole equaling or longer than blade of basal leaves;
blade ovate to elliptic, 3–13 cm × 10–50 mm (not including petiole), apex acute to acuminate, sparingly pubescent, densely so on abaxial midrib.
blade with stiff, appressed pubescence on both surfaces;
basal petiolate, blade lanceolate to elliptic or oblanceolate, (1.5–)3–10 cm × 4–12 mm (including petiole);
cauline in 2–5 pairs, blade linear to linear-lanceolate, 3–9 cm × 2–7 mm.
dichasial cymes, several- to many-flowered, open, bracteate;
bracts lanceolate, 4–20 × 2–7 mm, herbaceous, softly hairy throughout with long-septate hairs, not glandular, or with some glandular hairs.
1–20-flowered, bracteate, strongly viscid-glandular or less densely pubescent, longer hairs sometimes purple-septate;
bracts narrowly lanceolate, thick, 3–15 mm, herbaceous, apex acuminate.
ascending, 0.2–3 cm, usually shorter than calyx.
stiffly erect, 0.1–5 cm, varying in length within same inflorescence.
unisexual, some plants having only staminate flowers, others having only pistillate flowers, 20–25 mm diam.;
calyx 8–12-veined, campanulate, narrowly so in staminate flowers, broadly in pistillate, 10–15 × to 7 mm in flower, 11 mm broad in fruit, herbaceous, margins dentate, softly pubescent, lobes 5, erect, lanceolate, 2–3 mm;
petals bright pink, clawed, claw equaling or longer than calyx, limb spreading horizontally, broadly obovate, unlobed or 2-lobed, to 12 × 12 mm, appendages 4, ca. 1 mm;
stamens and stigmas equaling petal claw;
styles 5.
calyx 10-veined, broadly tubular to narrowly ellipsoid, not inflated, 12–18 × 4–8 mm in fruit, 2–3 times as long as broad, membranous between veins, margins dentate with 5 triangular, 1.2–2 mm lobes erect in flower and spreading in fruit, apex acuminate, veins green;
petals off-white to dusky pink or dingy reddish purple, clawed, equaling or to 11/2 times calyx, claw broadened distally, limb not differentiated from claw, narrower than claw, 1–3 mm;
stamens included in calyx;
styles (4–)5, included in calyx.
broadly ovoid to globose, equaling and often splitting calyx, opening by 5 (splitting into 10) revolute teeth;
carpophore absent.
12–15 mm, equaling calyx (rarely to 11/2 times calyx), opening by (4–)5 spreading teeth.
dark brown to black, broadly reniform, plump, 1–1.6 mm, densely and evenly papillate.
dark brown, not winged, reniform to angular, 0.7–1 mm diam., margins finely papillate;
papillae triangular, slender, longer than broad.
= 24.
Silene dioica
Silene drummondii
Silene dioica is closely related to S. latifolia and completely interfertile with it. The two species hybridize wherever they grow in close proximity, and the offspring (S. hampeana Meusel & K. Werner) usually have pale pink flowers. Silene dioica and S. latifolia are difficult to separate in herbarium material unless flower color has been noted. The characters that distinguish S. dioica are the usually dense, long, and soft pubescence covering at least the distal portion of the plant; the broad, almost globose, thin, and brittle capsule with revolute teeth; and the softer, thinner, usually broader leaves. Occasionally, double-flowered plants are encountered as garden escapes.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).
Subspecies drummondii is characteristically a prairie taxon, while subsp. striata is associated with the Rocky Mountains. However, the two taxa frequently appear to intergrade; e.g., in the Cypress Hills of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, and in the southern Rockies. Variety kruckebergii appears to be a luxuriant form with a more elongate capsule and calyx. Silene invisa, a Californian species, is similar to S. drummondii, some plants of which, from Nevada and Arizona, tend to be intermediate (see note under S. invisa).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Petals equaling calyx; fruiting calyces 12-15 × 4-6 mm, 21/ 4-3 times as long as broad; seeds ca. 0.7 mm diam.; inflorescences typically (1-)3-10(-20)-flowered | subsp. drummondii |
1. Petals 11/ 1/ 2 times calyx and clearly exserted from it; fruiting calyces 13-18 × 6-8 mm, ca. 2 times as long as broad; seeds ca. 1 mm diam.; inflorescences typically 1-4(-8)-flowered | subsp. striata |
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