Silene petersonii
Silene plankii
Peterson's campion or catchfly, plateau catchfly
plank's catchfly, Rio Grande fire pink
simple, 5–15 cm, pubescent and viscid, with stipitate glands.
ascending, branched, wiry, leafy, slender, 10–20 cm, finely retrorse gray-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.
largest in mid-stem region;
blade linear to narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, 1–4 cm × 1–5 mm, apex sharply acuminate, glandular-puberulent.
usually with solitary terminal flower, sometimes cymose, to 8-flowered, open.
with flowers usually solitary, terminal on branches.
erect or angled near tip with flowers slightly nodding, 1–3 times longer than calyx, glandular-puberulent, often densely so.
shorter than calyx, glandular-puberulent.
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 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.
equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8 or 10) lanceolate teeth;
carpophore 1–2.5 mm.
narrowly ellipsoid, equaling calyx, opening by 6 recurved, brittle teeth;
carpophore ca. 5 mm.
brown, broadly reniform, flattened, 2–2.5 mm, rugose, more coarsely so on margins.
brown, reniform, 1.5 mm, rugose in concentric rings on sides, margins papillate.
= 96.
= 48.
Silene petersonii
Silene plankii
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.)
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.)
CalFlora
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
