Silene petersonii |
Silene scaposa |
|
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Peterson's campion or catchfly, plateau catchfly |
Blue Mountain catchfly, Robinson's catchfly, stem campion |
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Habit | Plants perennial, rhizomatous; caudex thick, with many rhizomatous, creeping, branched, slender subterranean shoots, terminating in tight tufts of leaves and erect flowering stems. | Plants perennial, subscapose, cespitose; taproot stout; caudex branched, woody. |
Stems | simple, 5–15 cm, pubescent and viscid, with stipitate glands. |
several, erect, simple, 15–50 cm, puberulent, viscid-glandular distally. |
Leaves | 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; basal marcescent, long-petiolate, densely tufted, blade 1-veined, narrowly oblanceolate, 2–10(–20) cm × 2–12(–20) mm, not fleshy, base tapering to petiole, apex acute to obtuse, finely puberulent on both surfaces; cauline in 1–3 pairs, sessile, much reduced, blade linear-lanceolate, not fleshy. |
Inflorescences | usually with solitary terminal flower, sometimes cymose, to 8-flowered, open. |
1–5(–7)-flowered, with terminal flower and lateral, open, pedunculate cymes often reduced to single flowers, bracteate; bracts narrowly lanceolate, 3–10(–20) mm. |
Pedicels | erect or angled near tip with flowers slightly nodding, 1–3 times longer than calyx, glandular-puberulent, often densely so. |
erect, elongate, 0.5–4.5 cm, glandular-puberulent. |
Flowers | 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, those to lobes lance-shaped broadened and thickened distally, commissural veins slender, not forked distally, campanulate, 10–12 × 3.5–5 mm in flower, enlarging to 15 × 10 mm in fruit, not contracted around carpophore, papery, margins dentate, glandular-pubescent, viscid, veins parallel, with pale commissures, lobes patent, ovate, 1.5–4 mm, rigid, margins broad, membranous; corolla off-white to dingy purple-red, clawed, claw exceeding calyx, ciliate proximally, broadened distally, limbs erect, 2–4-lobed, less than 1/2 length of calyx, lobes 2–5 mm, appendages 2–4, 0.5–1 mm; stamens slightly exserted; filaments lanate, expanded at base; styles 3–5, ± equaling calyx. |
Capsules | equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8 or 10) lanceolate teeth; carpophore 1–2.5 mm. |
slightly longer than calyx, opening by 3–5 teeth; carpophore 1.5–2.5 mm. |
Seeds | brown, broadly reniform, flattened, 2–2.5 mm, rugose, more coarsely so on margins. |
brown, reniform, 1.2–2 mm, margins with large, inflated papillae, rugose on sides. |
2n | = 96. |
= 48. |
Silene petersonii |
Silene scaposa |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering early summer. |
Habitat | Calcareous gravel, clay, talus, and rocks on ridges, slopes, and barren ground | Subalpine grassy, gravelly, or rocky slopes, ponderosa pine forests, juniper scrub, sagebrush |
Elevation | 2000-3400 m (6600-11200 ft) | 900-3000 m (3000-9800 ft) |
Distribution |
NV; UT
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CO; ID; NV; OR
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Discussion | 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 scaposa is a very distinct species with its subscapose inflorescence, coronalike ring of short petals, and distended fruiting calyx in which the veins to the lobes are markedly broadened and lanceolate. Variation in lobing of the corolla has been the basis for recognizing two varieties: var. scaposa (var. typica C. L. Hitchcock & Maguire), which has two-lobed petals, and var. lobata, which has four-lobed petals. However, these differences appear to be of little significance. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 198. | FNA vol. 5, p. 202. |
Parent taxa | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. clokeyi, S. petersonii var. minor | S. scaposa var. lobata |
Name authority | Maguire: Madroño 6: 24. (1941) | B. L. Robinson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 28: 145. (1893) |
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