Silene petersonii
Silene douglasii
Peterson's campion or catchfly, plateau catchfly
Douglas' campion, Douglas' catchfly, Douglas' silene, mountain navarretia, seabluff catchfly
simple, 5–15 cm, pubescent and viscid, with stipitate glands.
several–many, ascending from decumbent base, usually unbranched, slender, 10–40(–70) cm, with short, fine, dense, retrorse or curled grayish white hairs, rarely subglabrous, typically not glandular but occasionally somewhat glandular distally.
basal with blade 1-veined, oblanceolate, broadly spatulate, 1–4 cm × 2–8 mm, apex obtuse to acute, glandular-puberulent throughout, rarely subglabrous adaxially;
cauline in 3–6 pairs, sessile, reduced distally, blade lanceolate, narrowly elliptic, or oblanceolate, 2–4 cm × 2–8 mm, apex ± acute, glandular-puberulent throughout.
2 per node, finely retrorse;
blade with no visible lateral veins, midrib distinct, oblanceolate, elliptic to linear, 2–10 cm × 1.5–13 mm, apex acute, puberulent to glabrous;
basal leaves numerous, blade spatulate;
cauline in 1–8 pairs, distal ones sessile.
usually with solitary terminal flower, sometimes cymose, to 8-flowered, open.
typically cymose, occasionally with reduced lateral cymes, 1- or 3-flowered, open, bracteate, grayish white retrorse-puberulent, typically not glandular, rarely with few stipitate glands;
bracts narrowly lanceolate, 2–10 × 0.5–2 mm, herbaceous, puberulent.
erect or angled near tip with flowers slightly nodding, 1–3 times longer than calyx, glandular-puberulent, often densely so.
ascending, straight, 0.5–4 cm.
calyx prominently 10-veined, campanulate, not contracted proximally around carpophore, 15–20 × 4–8 mm, papery, margins dentate, veins parallel, usually purple tinged, with pale commissures;
lobes ovate, 3–5 mm, glandular-puberulent, midrib triangular, margins purple tinged, broad, membranous, apex obtuse;
corolla bright pink, clawed, claw equaling calyx, broad and ligulate but abruptly contracted into limb, limb broadly cuneate, shallowly to deeply 2–4-lobed, 5–15 mm, lobes broad or narrow, appendages absent or to 2 mm, margins erose;
stamens slightly longer than corolla claw;
stigmas 3(–5), slightly longer than corolla claw.
calyx green, sometimes suffused with purple, prominently 10-veined, tubular in flower, campanulate and ± inflated in fruit, occasionally somewhat constricted near base, 12–15 × 3–10 mm, papery, grayish white retrorse-puberulent and eglandular, often ciliate, rarely glabrous or with few stipitate glands, veins parallel, green, forked and connate between lobes, lobes 5, erect, ovate-triangular, 2–3 mm, margins membranous, apex blunt;
corolla creamy white, often greenish and occasionally tinged with dark pink, clawed, to 2 times calyx, claw slightly longer than calyx, limb obovate-lanceolate, deeply 2-lobed, 4–11 mm, lobes oblong, rounded, margins entire to erose, appendages 1–2(–3) mm;
stamens equaling corolla claw;
styles 3–5, 1–11/2 times corolla claw.
equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8 or 10) lanceolate teeth;
carpophore 1–2.5 mm.
ovoid-ellipsoid, 11/3 times calyx, opening by 3–5 ascending to spreading teeth;
carpophore 3–4 mm.
brown, broadly reniform, flattened, 2–2.5 mm, rugose, more coarsely so on margins.
rusty brown, broadly reniform, sides flat, 1.2–1.5 mm, margins coarsely papillate, verrucate-tuberculate.
= 96.
Silene petersonii
Silene douglasii
Of conservation concern.
This beautiful alpine species is variable with respect to density of pubescence, flower size, and petal structure. As this variation occurs both within and among populations, little useful purpose is served by giving names to it. The Nevada population, which is the basis for the name Silene clokeyi, is interfertile (A. R. Kruckeberg 1961) with populations in Utah (the basis for the name S. petersonii). Accordingly, a single species is recognized here without infraspecific taxa.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).
Silene douglasii is usually readily recognized by its characteristic short, retrorse, grayish-white, eglandular pubescence on the calyx and pedicels. This, together with the usual absence of lateral teeth on the petals, appears to be the only reliable character separating it from S. parryi. However, intermediates between the two species occur, and it is probable that the occasional plants of S. douglasii with stipitate-glandular hairs in the inflorescence (e.g., var. rupinae and some plants that have been referred to var. monantha) have arisen through gene exchange with S. parryi, although it should be noted that A. R. Kruckeberg (1961) reported that such hybrids, when artificially produced, were sterile.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaf blades 3-13 mm wide, 0.3-0.7 mm thick, fleshy; calyces strongly inflated, (4-)7-10(-12) mm diam. at anthesis; petal limbs 5-11 mm wide, often with lateral tooth on each side; coastal Oregon | var. oraria |
1. Leaf blades 1.5-9 mm wide, 0.1-0.5 mm thick, not fleshy; calyces not strongly inflated, (3-)5-8(-10) mm diam. at anthesis; petal limbs 1-5 mm wide, usually without lateral teeth; widespread in w North America | → 2 |
2. Leaf blades 1.5-5 mm wide, typically over 15 times longer than wide, ± linear; pubescence on inflorecences and calyces often glandular; cliffs and ledges of Columbia River gorge | var. rupinae |
2. Leaf blades 2-9 mm wide, typically 5-10 times longer than wide, oblanceolate to elliptic to broadly linear; pubescence on inflorescences and calyces eglandular (very rarely with few stipitate glands); widespread in w North America | var. douglasii |
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