Silene scaposa |
Silene rotundifolia |
|
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Blue Mountain catchfly, Robinson's catchfly, stem campion |
round-leaf catchfly |
|
Habit | Plants perennial, subscapose, cespitose; taproot stout; caudex branched, woody. | Plants perennial; taproot stout, fleshy; caudex branched. |
Stems | several, erect, simple, 15–50 cm, puberulent, viscid-glandular distally. |
several, straggling to erect, freely branched, 2–7 cm, pilose and glandular, sparsely so proximally. |
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. |
basal leaves withered at time of flowering, distal sessile, proximal petiolate, largest on mid to distal stem; blade subrotund to broadly ovate-lanceolate, 3–10 cm × 20–70 mm, base cuneate into petiole, apex short-acuminate, sparsely short-pilose. |
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. |
cymose, open, few-flowered, leafy, bracteate; bracts resembling distal leaves. |
Pedicels | erect, elongate, 0.5–4.5 cm, glandular-puberulent. |
1–3(–4) cm, viscid, with long septate-glandular hairs. |
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 indistinctly veined, tubular, broadened distally, constricted towards base around carpophore, ± umbilicate, 20–25 × 5–8 mm, herbaceous, glandular-pilose, lobes triangular, 3–4 mm, margins narrow, membranous, ciliate; corolla scarlet, clawed, claw equaling calyx, limb deeply 2-lobed, 10–15 mm, lobes lanceolate, sometimes with 2 smaller lateral teeth, ciliate, appendages saccate, 1–1.5 mm, with clear area abaxially; stamens shortly exserted; styles 3, shortly exserted. |
Capsules | slightly longer than calyx, opening by 3–5 teeth; carpophore 1.5–2.5 mm. |
narrowly ellipsoid, not distending calyx, included within it, opening by 6 teeth; carpophore 6–8 mm. |
Seeds | brown, reniform, 1.2–2 mm, margins with large, inflated papillae, rugose on sides. |
gray, broadly reniform, plump, ca. 1 mm, shallowly papillate. |
2n | = 48. |
= 48. |
Silene scaposa |
Silene rotundifolia |
|
Phenology | Flowering early summer. | Flowering late spring–summer. |
Habitat | Subalpine grassy, gravelly, or rocky slopes, ponderosa pine forests, juniper scrub, sagebrush | Woodlands, partially shaded cliffs and bluffs |
Elevation | 900-3000 m (3000-9800 ft) | 200-600 m (700-2000 ft) |
Distribution |
CO; ID; NV; OR
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AL; GA; KY; OH; TN; WV
|
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 rotundifolia is clearly related to S. laciniata but is a well-marked species of the deciduous forest region. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 202. | FNA vol. 5, p. 201. |
Parent taxa | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. scaposa var. lobata | Melandrium rotundifolium |
Name authority | B. L. Robinson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 28: 145. (1893) | Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 288. (1818) |
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