Silene oregana |
Silene dioica |
|
---|---|---|
Oregon campion, Oregon catchfly, Oregon silene |
red campion, red catchfly, silène dioïque |
|
Habit | Plants perennial; taproot stout; caudex simple or sparsely branched, woody. | Plants perennial; taproot slender. |
Stems | usually simple proximal to inflorescence, 30–50(–70) cm, puberulent and shortly stipitate-glandular, especially distally. |
ascending, decumbent at base, branched, shortly rhizomatous, to 80 cm, softly pubescent, ± glandular, at least distally, rarely subglabrous. |
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. |
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. |
Inflorescences | thyrsate, 3–25-flowered, open, bracteate, pedunculate, stipitate-glandular, viscid; bracts narrowly lanceolate, 2–25 mm, apex acuminate. |
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. |
Pedicels | ascending. |
ascending, 0.2–3 cm, usually shorter than calyx. |
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. |
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. |
Capsules | ellipsoid, slightly longer than calyx, opening by 6 (or 8 or 10) very brittle teeth; carpophore 2–4 mm. |
broadly ovoid to globose, equaling and often splitting calyx, opening by 5 (splitting into 10) revolute teeth; carpophore absent. |
Seeds | brown, ± reniform, angular, glossy, shallowly tuberculate. |
dark brown to black, broadly reniform, plump, 1–1.6 mm, densely and evenly papillate. |
2n | = 48. |
= 24. |
Silene oregana |
Silene dioica |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Dry, grassy slopes, rocky areas, open woodlands and forests | Woodlands, hedges, gardens, riverbanks, open waste places |
Elevation | 1500-2800 m (4900-9200 ft) | 0-500 m (0-1600 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY
|
CT; IA; IL; MA; MD; ME; MT; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; VT; WA; WI; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; Europe [Introduced in North America]
|
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.) |
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.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 196. | FNA vol. 5, p. 181. |
Parent taxa | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. filisecta, S. gormanii, S. oregana var. filisecta | Lychnis dioica, Lychnis rubra, Melandrium dioicum, Melandrium dioicum subsp. rubrum, Melandrium rubrum |
Name authority | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 10: 343. (1875) | (Linnaeus) Clairville: Man. Herbor. Suisse, 146. (1811) |
Web links |