Silene dioica
Silene serpentinicola
red campion, red catchfly, silène dioïque
serpentine catchfly, serpentine Indian pink
ascending, decumbent at base, branched, shortly rhizomatous, to 80 cm, softly pubescent, ± glandular, at least distally, rarely subglabrous.
4–10(–15) cm, softly pubescent.
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.
cauline in 4–8 pairs, crowded;
blade gray-green, oblanceolate to obovate, spatulate, 2.5–4.5 cm × 5–15 mm, longest near middle of stem, sparsely pubescent on both surfaces, reduced and bractlike on subterranean base.
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.
terminal, 1–3(–4)-flowered cymes, densely glandular-pubescent;
bracts leaflike, (0.5–)0.7–1.1 cm.
ascending, 0.2–3 cm, usually shorter than calyx.
ascending and straight, (5–)7–10 mm, glandular-pubescent.
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.
ca. 30 mm diam.;
calyx purple tinged, distinctly 10-veined, tubular, inflated and expanding in fruit, 13–17 mm, densely glandular-pubescent, lobes lanceolate;
corolla scarlet, clawed, limb carmine red, turning purple on drying, ± equally deeply 2-lobed, each lobe with lateral tooth, ca. 11 mm, glabrous, claw narrowly obtriangular, equaling calyx, appendages 2, prominent, petaloid, linear, truncate, 2.5–4.5 mm;
stamens long-exserted;
stigmas 3, long-exserted.
broadly ovoid to globose, equaling and often splitting calyx, opening by 5 (splitting into 10) revolute teeth;
carpophore absent.
ovoid to oblong, equaling calyx, (8–)12–15 mm;
carpophore 0.5–1 mm.
dark brown to black, broadly reniform, plump, 1–1.6 mm, densely and evenly papillate.
dark brown, reniform, 1.8–2 mm diam., strongly papillate.
= 24.
= 72.
Silene dioica
Silene serpentinicola
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.)
Of conservation concern.
Silene serpentinicola is a recently described endemic of the serpentines of the Smith River basin of northwestern Del Norte County and probably occurs on the same rock system across the border in Oregon. It differs from S. hookeri in flower color, and from both S. hookeri and S. laciniata subsp. californica in its erect, more or less solitary flowering stems and large, clearly visible petaloid appendages in the flowers.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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