Silene ovata
Silene marmorensis
Blue Ridge catchfly, ovate-leaf campion or catchfly, ovate-leaf catchfly
Marble Mountain campion, Marble Mountain catchfly, Marble Mountain or Somes Bar campion
erect, usually simple, 30–150 cm, with short, dense, eglandular pubescence, sparsely so toward base.
erect, simple proximal to inflorescence, 25–80 cm, puberulent, glandular distally.
sessile, 2 per node;
blade prominently 3–5-veined, ovate-acuminate, round at base, (4–)6–10(–13) cm × (20–)30–50(–90) mm, appressed-pubescent on both surfaces.
in 5–7 pairs proximal to inflorescence, sessile, blade lanceolate, narrowed to base, apex acute;
proximal withering, becoming smaller in inflorescence, 2–5 cm × 3–10 mm, sparsely scabrous-pubescent on both surfaces.
paniculate, narrow, many-flowered, open, bracteate, pedunculate, 10–50 × 3–5 cm, densely puberulent;
bracts narrowly lanceolate, 3–15 mm, apex acuminate;
peduncle ascending.
cymose, terminal, pedunculate, 1–3-flowered, open, bracteate, bracteolate, 10–25 cm, pubescence dense, hairs septate-glandular, septa colorless;
cymes paired at each node;
peduncle ascending, 1–3 cm;
bracts and bracteoles leaflike, reduced distally to 2 mm.
ascending, recurved near apex, ca. equaling calyx.
not bent in fruit, 1/2 to equaling calyx.
nocturnal;
calyx prominently 10-veined, tubular to narrowly campanulate and 6–9 × 3–4 mm in flower, turbinate and 10–12 × 4–5 mm in fruit, narrowed proximally around carpophore, veins parallel, green, broad, with pale commissures, puberulent, sometimes with few glands, lobes triangular-acute, 2–3 mm;
corolla white, clawed, claw equaling calyx, broadened into limb, limb obtriangular, deeply lobed, 7–9 mm, lobes ca. 8, linear, appendages minute;
stamens slightly longer than corolla;
styles 3, ca. 2 times as long as corolla.
nocturnal;
calyx prominently 10-veined, campanulate, 12–14 × 4–6 mm in flower, becoming obovate to obconic and to 10 mm broad in fruit, not contracted proximally around carpophore, margins dentate, glandular-pubescent, veins parallel, with pale commissures, lobes lanceolate-acuminate, 3–4 mm, membranous, margins narrow, apex blunt, veins green;
corolla pale pink, greenish abaxially, clawed, claw equaling calyx, limb oblong, deeply 2-lobed, 4–6 mm, appendages 2, oblong, ca. 1 mm;
stamens equaling petals;
stigmas 3, equaling petals.
narrowly ovoid, slightly longer than calyx, opening by 3 (splitting into 6) ascending teeth;
carpophore 2–2.5 mm.
obovoid, equaling calyx and often splitting it at maturity, opening by 5 teeth;
carpophore 3–4 mm.
dark brown, reniform, 0.8–1.5 mm, shallowly tuberculate.
black, reniform, 2–3 mm, tuberculate;
tubercles conic, in concentric rows.
= 48.
= 48.
Silene ovata
Silene marmorensis
Of conservation concern.
Silene ovata is a very distinctive species with large, ovate, acuminate, sessile, paired leaves, and very narrowly lobed white petals. The flowers open at night and are moth-pollinated.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Of conservation concern.
Silene marmorensis is closely related to S. bridgesii but has a narrower inflorescence, pedicels that are ascending instead of deflexed, and styles and stamens that are about equal to the petals. As in S. bridgesii and S. lemmonii, the flowers open at night and are probably moth-pollinated. The species is known only from Humboldt and Siskiyou counties.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
CA
