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Blue Mountain catchfly, Robinson's catchfly, stem campion

Parry's, Parry's campion, Parry's catchfly, Parry's silene

Habit Plants perennial, subscapose, cespitose; taproot stout; caudex branched, woody. Plants perennial; taproot thick; caudex branched, woody, with tufts of basal leaves.
Stems

several, erect, simple, 15–50 cm, puberulent, viscid-glandular distally.

erect, simple, (10–)20–60 cm, softly puberulent, viscid-glandular 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 petiolate, blade oblanceolate, spatulate, 3–8 cm × 2–14 mm, not fleshy, margins shortly ciliate, apex ± acute, glabrous to puberulent on both surfaces;

cauline usually in 2–4 pairs, blade narrowly oblanceolate, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 0.2–0.8 cm × 10–80 mm, not fleshy, puberulent on both surfaces, at least distal ones glandular.

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.

(1–)3–7-flowered, open, bracteate;

bracts linear-lanceolate, broadened at base, 2–10 mm.

Pedicels

erect, elongate, 0.5–4.5 cm, glandular-puberulent.

ascending, usually longer than calyx, puberulent, viscid stipitate-glandular.

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, campanulate, inflated, ± umbilicate, not or only slightly constricted toward base, (10–)12–16 × 7–9 mm in fruit, glandular-pubescent, strongly viscid, veins parallel, purplish, with pale commissures, not much broadened distally, commissural veins slender, forked distally and fused to those of lobes, lobes ovate to broadly triangular with lanceolate midrib, 2–3 mm, margins purple tinged, broad, membranous;

corolla white, often tinged green or purple, clawed, claw equaling calyx, glabrous, broadened distally, limb deeply 2-lobed, rarely 4-lobed, 5–7 mm, lobes with 2 prominent lateral teeth, appendages 2(–4), 1.5–2 mm;

stamens equaling calyx;

stigmas 3(–5), exserted.

Capsules

slightly longer than calyx, opening by 3–5 teeth;

carpophore 1.5–2.5 mm.

included in calyx, opening by 3(–5) teeth, each tardily splitting into 2;

carpophore 2–3 mm.

Seeds

brown, reniform, 1.2–2 mm, margins with large, inflated papillae, rugose on sides.

brown, not winged, broadly reniform and often flattened, 1.5–2.5 mm, rugose to shallowly tuberculate on sides, larger tubercules on margins.

2n

= 48.

= 48, 96.

Silene scaposa

Silene parryi

Phenology Flowering early summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Subalpine grassy, gravelly, or rocky slopes, ponderosa pine forests, juniper scrub, sagebrush Mountains, gravelly ridges, rocky and grassy slopes, subalpine meadows, grassy openings in montane forests
Elevation 900-3000 m (3000-9800 ft) 1500-3000 m (4900-9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; ID; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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 parryi is very similar to S. douglasii, but the latter is normally eglandular with a characteristic short, gray, retrorse pubescence. The two species may hybridize, accounting for the occurrence of populations of S. douglasii with some glandular pubescence in the inflorescence. Silene parryi is closely related also to S. scouleri, but the latter is normally readily distinguished by its pink flowers; taller stature; long, narrow, many-flowered inflorescences; and fusiform fruiting calyces that are constricted around the carpophore. However, some depauperate specimens of S. scouleri from montane habitats are difficult to place. Also, small plants of S. parryi from alpine habitats can easily be mistaken for S. grayi. The anthers of S. parryi are often smutted with Microbotryum violaceum (Persoon) G. Deml & Oberwinker [= Ustilago violacea (Persoon) Roussel], e.g., in the type collection of S. tetonensis.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 202. FNA vol. 5, p. 197.
Parent taxa Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene
Sibling taxa
S. acaulis, S. antirrhina, S. aperta, S. armeria, S. bernardina, S. bridgesii, S. campanulata, S. caroliniana, S. chalcedonica, S. conica, S. coniflora, S. conoidea, S. coronaria, S. csereii, S. dichotoma, S. dioica, S. douglasii, S. drummondii, S. flos-cuculi, S. gallica, S. grayi, S. hitchguirei, S. hookeri, S. invisa, S. involucrata, S. kingii, S. laciniata, S. latifolia, S. lemmonii, S. marmorensis, S. menziesii, S. nachlingerae, S. nivea, S. noctiflora, S. nuda, S. occidentalis, S. oregana, S. ostenfeldii, S. ovata, S. parishii, S. parryi, S. pendula, S. petersonii, S. plankii, S. polypetala, S. pseudatocion, S. rectiramea, S. regia, S. repens, S. rotundifolia, S. sargentii, S. scouleri, S. seelyi, S. serpentinicola, S. sibirica, S. sorensenis, S. spaldingii, S. stellata, S. subciliata, S. suecica, S. suksdorfii, S. thurberi, S. uralensis, S. verecunda, S. virginica, S. viscaria, S. vulgaris, S. williamsii, S. wrightii
S. acaulis, S. antirrhina, S. aperta, S. armeria, S. bernardina, S. bridgesii, S. campanulata, S. caroliniana, S. chalcedonica, S. conica, S. coniflora, S. conoidea, S. coronaria, S. csereii, S. dichotoma, S. dioica, S. douglasii, S. drummondii, S. flos-cuculi, S. gallica, S. grayi, S. hitchguirei, S. hookeri, S. invisa, S. involucrata, S. kingii, S. laciniata, S. latifolia, S. lemmonii, S. marmorensis, S. menziesii, S. nachlingerae, S. nivea, S. noctiflora, S. nuda, S. occidentalis, S. oregana, S. ostenfeldii, S. ovata, S. parishii, S. pendula, S. petersonii, S. plankii, S. polypetala, S. pseudatocion, S. rectiramea, S. regia, S. repens, S. rotundifolia, S. sargentii, S. scaposa, S. scouleri, S. seelyi, S. serpentinicola, S. sibirica, S. sorensenis, S. spaldingii, S. stellata, S. subciliata, S. suecica, S. suksdorfii, S. thurberi, S. uralensis, S. verecunda, S. virginica, S. viscaria, S. vulgaris, S. williamsii, S. wrightii
Synonyms S. scaposa var. lobata Lychnis parryi, S. douglasii var. macounii, S. macounii, S. scouleri var. macounii, S. tetonensis, S. tetragyna, Wahlbergella parryi
Name authority B. L. Robinson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 28: 145. (1893) (S. Watson) C. L. Hitchcock & Maguire: Revis. N. Amer. Silene, 36. (1947)
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