Silene ovata
Silene sargentii
Blue Ridge catchfly, ovate-leaf campion or catchfly, ovate-leaf catchfly
Sargent's campion, Sargent's catchfly
erect, usually simple, 30–150 cm, with short, dense, eglandular pubescence, sparsely so toward base.
erect, decumbent at base, simple, branched in flowering region, slender, 10–20(–25) cm, sparsely pubescent and glandular.
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.
mostly basal;
basal marcescent, densely tufted, long-petiolate, blade linear-oblanceolate, 1–3 cm × 0.5–3 mm, somewhat fleshy, setose-puberulent on both surfaces;
cauline in 1–3 pairs proximal to inflorescence, reduced distally, blade linear, 1–4 cm × 0.5–2 mm.
paniculate, narrow, many-flowered, open, bracteate, pedunculate, 10–50 × 3–5 cm, densely puberulent;
bracts narrowly lanceolate, 3–15 mm, apex acuminate;
peduncle ascending.
1–3-flowered, with terminal flower, usually with 1 or 2 flowers at proximal nodes.
ascending, recurved near apex, ca. equaling calyx.
erect, sometimes slightly bent at apex, 1/4–2 times calyx, viscid glandular-puberulent, septa of hairs colorless.
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 prominently 10-veined, narrowly campanulate, ± umbilicate, not contracted proximally around carpophore, 9–18(–22) × 3–6 mm, papery, glandular-puberulent, viscid, hairs with colorless septa, veins parallel, purple, with pale commissures, lobes with midrib present, triangular, 2–3 mm, margins purple tinged, membranous, often broadened distally into round, crenulate lobe;
corolla off-white, usually pink or purple tinged, to 11/2 times longer than calyx, limb 2-lobed, 2–3 mm, sometimes with 2 small lateral teeth, appendages 2, ovate, 1–1.5 mm;
stamens slightly longer than calyx;
styles 3(–5), equaling petals.
narrowly ovoid, slightly longer than calyx, opening by 3 (splitting into 6) ascending teeth;
carpophore 2–2.5 mm.
included in calyx, opening by 6 (or 8 or 10) ascending teeth;
carpophore 1.5–3 mm, woolly.
dark brown, reniform, 0.8–1.5 mm, shallowly tuberculate.
brown, reniform, ca. 1.5 mm, rugose on both surfaces, margins with large, inflated papillae.
= 48.
= 48.
Silene ovata
Silene sargentii
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.)
Silene sargentii is very similar to S. suksdorfii, but that species has purple-septate hairs on the calyx and pedicels, whereas those on S. sargentii are colorless (see M. A. T. Showers 1987). Also, the cauline leaves of S. suksdorfii are narrowly oblanceolate rather than linear, and the basal leaves are marcescent. Silene sargentii may be confused with S. bernardina and can intergrade with it in Nevada. However, that species is usually larger with a longer, tubular calyx and petals that are deeply divided into 4–6 narrow lobes, unlike S. sargentii, which has 2-lobed petals.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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