Silene scaposa |
Silene nuda |
|
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Blue Mountain catchfly, Robinson's catchfly, stem campion |
barestem campion, naked campion, sticky catchfly, western fringe catchfly |
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Habit | Plants perennial, subscapose, cespitose; taproot stout; caudex branched, woody. | Plants perennial; taproot thick; caudex erect, branched, thick and woody, producing tufts of leaves. |
Stems | several, erect, simple, 15–50 cm, puberulent, viscid-glandular distally. |
erect, branched distally, with 2–4 pairs of reduced leaves, 15–50 cm; flowering shoots usually subscapose, coarsely pubescent with hairs colorless, septate, and long, viscid-glandular, especially distally. |
Leaves | 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. |
mostly basal; basal long-petiolate, blade oblanceolate to elliptic, 6–15 cm × 10–30 mm, narrowed to base, not fleshy; cauline few, sessile, reduced distally, blade lanceolate, 0.8–4 cm × 3–8 mm, not fleshy. |
Inflorescences | 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. |
thyrsate, subscapose, rarely simple, (3–)5–12(rarely more)-flowered, open, bracteate, bracteolate, densely pubescent, glandular, viscid; alternate branches often suppressed or developing unevenly; proximal nodes often with single flower; bracts and bracteoles resembling stem leaves but much reduced. |
Pedicels | erect, elongate, 0.5–4.5 cm, glandular-puberulent. |
1/4–2 times length of calyx. |
Flowers | 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. |
calyx prominently 10-veined, veins parallel, those of lobes broadened distally, tubular in flower, 10–13 × 2.5–4 mm, campanulate-ovate in fruit, broadest near middle and contracted towards mouth, not contracted proximally, 12–18 × 5–8 mm, with pale commissures, lobes 5, erect, narrowly lanceolate, 4–6 mm, margins narrow, membranous proximally, apex blunt, with glandular hairs; petals 11/2–2 times longer than calyx tube; corolla pink, clawed, claw equaling calyx tube, limb obovate, deeply 2-lobed, 5–10 mm, appendages 2, linear, ca. 1.5 mm; stamens exserted, shorter than petals; styles 3–5, included in calyx, ± equaling calyx or corolla. |
Capsules | slightly longer than calyx, opening by 3–5 teeth; carpophore 1.5–2.5 mm. |
conic to ellipsoid, equaling calyx lobes, opening by 6–10 recurved teeth; carpophore 1–2 mm. |
Seeds | brown, reniform, 1.2–2 mm, margins with large, inflated papillae, rugose on sides. |
dark brown, reniform, 1–1.5 mm, prominently papillate; papillae larger around margins. |
2n | = 48. |
= 48. |
Silene scaposa |
Silene nuda |
|
Phenology | Flowering early summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Subalpine grassy, gravelly, or rocky slopes, ponderosa pine forests, juniper scrub, sagebrush | Scrubby grasslands and openings in woodland and coniferous forests |
Elevation | 900-3000 m (3000-9800 ft) | 1100-2300 m (3600-7500 ft) |
Distribution |
CO; ID; NV; OR
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CA; NV; OR
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Discussion | 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.) |
Silene nuda may be confused with the other scapose species, S. scaposa, but S. nuda has larger, more conspicuous petals that are one and one-half to two times as long as the calyx tube. It is found in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades. The Nevada populations tend to grow in drier situations and on saline flats. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 202. | FNA vol. 5, p. 195. |
Parent taxa | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. scaposa var. lobata | Lychnis nuda, S. insectivora, S. nuda subsp. insectivora, S. pectinata, S. pectinata var. subnuda |
Name authority | B. L. Robinson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 28: 145. (1893) | (S. Watson) C. L. Hitchcock & Maguire: Revis. N. Amer. Silene, 45. (1947) |
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