Silene oregana
Silene hitchguirei
Oregon campion, Oregon catchfly, Oregon silene
mountain campion
usually simple proximal to inflorescence, 30–50(–70) cm, puberulent and shortly stipitate-glandular, especially distally.
several, stiffly erect, 2–10(–12) cm, densely pubescent distally, hairs multicellular, with glandular tip;
stem leaves in 1 or 2 pairs.
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.
blade narrowly oblanceolate and long-spatulate, to 2.5 cm × 4 mm, somewhat fleshy, apex acute, ± glabrous except for ciliate margins.
thyrsate, 3–25-flowered, open, bracteate, pedunculate, stipitate-glandular, viscid;
bracts narrowly lanceolate, 2–25 mm, apex acuminate.
1(–3) per flowering stem.
ascending.
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.
erect;
mature calyx veined, elliptic, not inflated or thin, 7–10(–12) mm, densely pubescent with purple-septate hairs, margins dentate with 1–1.5 mm lobes, apex acute, outwardly curved, veins not much- broadened distally, intermediate ones shorter than calyx, veins and calyx lobes dark purple;
petals white or pink, to 11/4 times calyx, claw narrow, 10–12 mm, limb not differentiated from claw, obovate, emarginate, ca. 3 mm;
stamens equaling calyx;
styles 5, equaling calyx.
ellipsoid, slightly longer than calyx, opening by 6 (or 8 or 10) very brittle teeth;
carpophore 2–4 mm.
equaling calyx, opening by 5 teeth, tardily splitting into 10, triangular, outwardly curved.
brown, ± reniform, angular, glossy, shallowly tuberculate.
brown, reniform to angular, (0.5–)0.7–1(–1.3) mm diam., wrinkled, wing narrow, less than 1/4 diam. of seed.
= 48.
= 24.
Silene oregana
Silene hitchguirei
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 hitchguirei is similar to S. suksdorfii, except that the latter species has larger seeds, an urceolate fruiting calyx with a contracted base, an inflorescence that is sometimes branched with up to three flowers, and short, erect stems that have three or four pairs of leaves. It is probably closely related to S. involucrata subsp. tenella and S. ostenfeldii but differs in its small size, its usually solitary flowers, and short petals. The wing on its small seeds is narrower than that of S. involucrata subsp. tenella, whereas in S. ostenfeldii the wing is completely absent.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
OR
WA
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
