Silene ovata
Silene plankii
Blue Ridge catchfly, ovate-leaf campion or catchfly, ovate-leaf catchfly
plank's catchfly, Rio Grande fire pink
erect, usually simple, 30–150 cm, with short, dense, eglandular pubescence, sparsely so toward base.
ascending, branched, wiry, leafy, slender, 10–20 cm, finely retrorse gray-puberulent.
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.
largest in mid-stem region;
blade linear to narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, 1–4 cm × 1–5 mm, apex sharply acuminate, glandular-puberulent.
paniculate, narrow, many-flowered, open, bracteate, pedunculate, 10–50 × 3–5 cm, densely puberulent;
bracts narrowly lanceolate, 3–15 mm, apex acuminate;
peduncle ascending.
with flowers usually solitary, terminal on branches.
ascending, recurved near apex, ca. equaling calyx.
shorter than calyx, glandular-puberulent.
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.
calyx 10-veined, tubular, constricted around carpophore, umbilicate, 20–30 × 3–6 mm, papery, green, glandular-puberulent, lobes lanceolate, 2–4 mm, margins membranous, apex acute;
corolla scarlet, clawed, claw equaling calyx, limb obconic, 2-lobed, 7–10 mm, margins entire or crenate, appendages ± lacerate, 1–1.5 mm;
stamens exserted, ± equaling corolla lobes;
styles 3, exserted, ± equaling corolla lobes.
narrowly ovoid, slightly longer than calyx, opening by 3 (splitting into 6) ascending teeth;
carpophore 2–2.5 mm.
narrowly ellipsoid, equaling calyx, opening by 6 recurved, brittle teeth;
carpophore ca. 5 mm.
dark brown, reniform, 0.8–1.5 mm, shallowly tuberculate.
brown, reniform, 1.5 mm, rugose in concentric rings on sides, margins papillate.
= 48.
= 48.
Silene ovata
Silene plankii
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 plankii is a close relative of S. laciniata, differing in its compact tufted growth, small and narrow leaves, and shallowly two-lobed petals. It is endemic to the Del Carmen Mountains on either side of the Rio Grande valley. Plants of S. laciniata with a habit and leaves similar to S. plankii but the deeply laciniate petals of S. laciniata occur on the cliffs of Santa Cruz Island off the coast of California.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
