Silene petersonii
Silene invisa
Peterson's campion or catchfly, plateau catchfly
red fir catchfly, short-petal campion
simple, 5–15 cm, pubescent and viscid, with stipitate glands.
several, erect, unbranched proximal to inflorescence, 10–40 cm, puberulent.
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.
mostly basal, petiolate, blade oblanceolate or spatulate, 1.5–5 cm × 2–6 mm, apex acute, glabrous except for a few cilia on petiole;
cauline leaves in 2–4 pairs, reduced distally, blade linear to narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, 2–7 cm × 2–6 mm.
usually with solitary terminal flower, sometimes cymose, to 8-flowered, open.
cymose, 1–3-flowered, open, bracteate;
cyme 1, terminal, often with 1 flower at next node;
bracts linear-lanceolate, 5–20 mm.
erect or angled near tip with flowers slightly nodding, 1–3 times longer than calyx, glandular-puberulent, often densely so.
erect, from 0.5 cm, lengthening to 3 cm in fruit, gray and somewhat retrorse-puberulent with stipitate-glandular hairs.
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 prominently 10-veined, veins parallel, green, with pale commissures, broadened in lobes, narrowly campanulate and 7–11 × 3–4 mm in flower, campanulate and 8–12 × 4–5 mm in fruit, tending to broaden proximally, glandular-puberulent, lobes 5, erect, lanceolate, 1–2 mm, apex blunt;
petals cream to pink, often tinged with dusky purple, slightly longer than calyx, limb 1–2 mm, unlobed or apex notched;
stamens equaling calyx;
stigmas 3, equaling calyx.
equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8 or 10) lanceolate teeth;
carpophore 1–2.5 mm.
narrowly ovoid, 10–13 mm, slightly longer than calyx, opening with 6 outwardly curved teeth;
carpophore shorter than 1 mm.
brown, broadly reniform, flattened, 2–2.5 mm, rugose, more coarsely so on margins.
brown, reniform, angular, 0.7–1 mm, margins with large, balloonlike papillae, sides rugose.
= 96.
= 48.
Silene petersonii
Silene invisa
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.)
Silene invisa is found in the Cascades and Sierra Nevada. It is a rare species very similar to S. drummondii, from which it can usually be distinguished by its smaller size, glabrous leaves, and the large, inflated papillae of the seeds. Plants with intermediate characters occur in Nevada and Arizona.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CalFlora
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
