Silene ovata
Silene wrightii
Blue Ridge catchfly, ovate-leaf campion or catchfly, ovate-leaf catchfly
Wright's catchfly
erect, usually simple, 30–150 cm, with short, dense, eglandular pubescence, sparsely so toward base.
several, simple or branched, spreading to ascending, leafy, 10–30 cm, densely pubescent, 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.
2 per node, mostly cauline, blade 1.5–6 cm × 3–14 mm, apex sharply acuminate, pubescent and viscid on both surfaces;
distal sessile, blade elliptic-lanceolate;
proximal short-petiolate, blade oblanceolate.
paniculate, narrow, many-flowered, open, bracteate, pedunculate, 10–50 × 3–5 cm, densely puberulent;
bracts narrowly lanceolate, 3–15 mm, apex acuminate;
peduncle ascending.
leafy, flowers terminal and axillary.
ascending, recurved near apex, ca. equaling calyx.
straight, rather slender, 1/5 times 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.
calyx prominently 10-veined, tubular to narrowly obconic in flower, 16–20 × 4–5 mm, clavate and broadening to 7 mm in fruit, narrowed proximally around carpophore, coarsely glandular-pubescent and viscid, veins parallel, green, with pale commissures, lobes narrowly lanceolate, 5–7 mm, margins narrow, membranous, apex acuminate;
corolla white to pale yellow, sometimes purple tinged, clawed, ca. 2 times calyx, claw longer than calyx, broadened into obtriangular limb, limb 5–8 mm, cleft ca. to middle into (2–)4–8 lanceolate to oblong lobes, appendages 2, very short;
stamens exserted, shorter than petals;
styles 3, exserted, slender, shorter than petals.
narrowly ovoid, slightly longer than calyx, opening by 3 (splitting into 6) ascending teeth;
carpophore 2–2.5 mm.
narrowly ovoid, equaling calyx, opening by 3 teeth that tardily split into 6;
carpophore 3–6 mm.
dark brown, reniform, 0.8–1.5 mm, shallowly tuberculate.
brown, broadly reniform, flattened, ca. 1.5 mm, sides rugose, margins papillate;
papillae conic, acute.
= 48.
= 96.
Silene ovata
Silene wrightii
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 wrightii is an uncommon, distinct species with large, pale yellowish flowers and tubular to narrowly funnelform calyces with long, narrow, lanceolate lobes. The leaves are mainly cauline, with the largest in the mid-stem region. The stems are few-branched and arise in tufts from the very woody caudex.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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