Silene oregana |
Silene armeria |
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Oregon campion, Oregon catchfly, Oregon silene |
silène arméria, sweet william silene, sweet-william catchfly |
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Habit | Plants perennial; taproot stout; caudex simple or sparsely branched, woody. | Plants annual, glabrous throughout, ± glaucous, sometimes glutnous in distal parts; taproot slender. |
Stems | usually simple proximal to inflorescence, 30–50(–70) cm, puberulent and shortly stipitate-glandular, especially distally. |
simple, branched in inflorescence, (10–)20–40(–70) cm. |
Leaves | 2 per node, gradually reduced distally; basal petiolate, blade oblanceolate, spatulate, 5–9 cm × 7–15 mm (including petiole), apex acute to obtuse, usually glabrous adaxially, sparsely pubescent abaxially; cauline in 4–6 pairs, blade linear-lanceolate, 1–6(–8) cm × 2–6 mm, puberulent and shortly stipitate-glandular. |
basal withering before flowering, blade lanceolate-spatulate, 2–5 cm; cauline sessile to amplexicaulous, blade lanceolate to ovate or elliptic, 1–6 cm × 5–25 mm, apex acute. |
Inflorescences | thyrsate, 3–25-flowered, open, bracteate, pedunculate, stipitate-glandular, viscid; bracts narrowly lanceolate, 2–25 mm, apex acuminate. |
cymose, bracteate; cyme capitate or with flowers clustered at end of slender branches; bracts lanceolate-acicular, 2–10 mm. |
Pedicels | ascending. |
0.1–0.5 cm. |
Flowers | calyx prominently 10-veined, narrowly campanulate, umbilicate, somewhat clavate and constricted below middle around carpophore, 9–15 × 3–4 mm in flower, broadening to 7 mm in fruit, membranous, shortly stipitate-glandular, veins parallel, slender, tinged dark red, with pale commissures, lobes ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, 2–3 mm, margins scarious; corolla creamy white, sometimes pink tinged, clawed, claw equaling calyx, glabrous, broadening only slightly into limb 3–8 mm, limb with 4–6 linear lobes, some splitting to 10 linear segments, appendages 4–6, linear, 1–1.5 mm, apex acute; stamens ca. equaling petals; filaments glabrous; stigmas 3(–5), ca. equaling petals. |
calyx usually purple tinged, 10-veined, elongate, clavate, lobed, constricted proximally into narrow tube, 13–17 × 2.5–4 mm, rather membranous; lobes ovate-triangular, ca. 1 mm, apex obtuse; petals pink (rarely white), unlobed, limb obovate, ca. 5 mm, base cuneate into claw 6–8 mm, auricles absent, appendages linear to lanceolate, 2–3 mm, apex acute; stamens slightly longer than petal claws; styles 3(–4), exserted. |
Capsules | ellipsoid, slightly longer than calyx, opening by 6 (or 8 or 10) very brittle teeth; carpophore 2–4 mm. |
oblong, 7–10 mm, opening by 6 (or 8) spreading teeth; carpophore 7–8 mm, glabrous. |
Seeds | brown, ± reniform, angular, glossy, shallowly tuberculate. |
dark brown, reniform-rotund, less than 1 mm diam., rugose. |
2n | = 48. |
= 24 (Europe). |
Silene oregana |
Silene armeria |
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Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Dry, grassy slopes, rocky areas, open woodlands and forests | Waste places, disturbed ground |
Elevation | 1500-2800 m (4900-9200 ft) | 0-1200 m (0-3900 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY
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CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; SC; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; BC; NB; NS; ON; QC; Europe [Introduced in North America]
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Discussion | The creamy white laciniate petals are the best field (and herbarium) guide to distinguishing this species from Silene parryi and S. scouleri, both of which have 2–4-lobed petals that are usually dingy cream to greenish or purple tinged. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
The long-tubular, clavate calyx enclosing the unusually long carpophore helps to distinguish Silene armeria. It is an occasional and adventive garden escape. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 196. | FNA vol. 5, p. 174. |
Parent taxa | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. filisecta, S. gormanii, S. oregana var. filisecta | Atocion armeria |
Name authority | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 10: 343. (1875) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 420. (1753) |
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