Silene scaposa |
Silene sargentii |
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Blue Mountain catchfly, Robinson's catchfly, stem campion |
Sargent's campion, Sargent's catchfly |
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Habit | Plants perennial, subscapose, cespitose; taproot stout; caudex branched, woody. | Plants perennial; taproot stout; caudex much-branched, woody, producing many decumbent, leafy, short shoots and erect flowering shoots, often densely cespitose. |
Stems | several, erect, simple, 15–50 cm, puberulent, viscid-glandular distally. |
erect, decumbent at base, simple, branched in flowering region, slender, 10–20(–25) cm, sparsely pubescent and glandular. |
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 marcescent, densely tufted, long-petiolate, blade linear-oblanceolate, 1–3 cm × 0.5–3 mm, somewhat fleshy, setose-puberulent on both surfaces; cauline in 1–3 pairs proximal to inflorescence, reduced distally, blade linear, 1–4 cm × 0.5–2 mm. |
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-flowered, with terminal flower, usually with 1 or 2 flowers at proximal nodes. |
Pedicels | erect, elongate, 0.5–4.5 cm, glandular-puberulent. |
erect, sometimes slightly bent at apex, 1/4–2 times calyx, viscid glandular-puberulent, septa of hairs colorless. |
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, narrowly campanulate, ± umbilicate, not contracted proximally around carpophore, 9–18(–22) × 3–6 mm, papery, glandular-puberulent, viscid, hairs with colorless septa, veins parallel, purple, with pale commissures, lobes with midrib present, triangular, 2–3 mm, margins purple tinged, membranous, often broadened distally into round, crenulate lobe; corolla off-white, usually pink or purple tinged, to 11/2 times longer than calyx, limb 2-lobed, 2–3 mm, sometimes with 2 small lateral teeth, appendages 2, ovate, 1–1.5 mm; stamens slightly longer than calyx; styles 3(–5), equaling petals. |
Capsules | slightly longer than calyx, opening by 3–5 teeth; carpophore 1.5–2.5 mm. |
included in calyx, opening by 6 (or 8 or 10) ascending teeth; carpophore 1.5–3 mm, woolly. |
Seeds | brown, reniform, 1.2–2 mm, margins with large, inflated papillae, rugose on sides. |
brown, reniform, ca. 1.5 mm, rugose on both surfaces, margins with large, inflated papillae. |
2n | = 48. |
= 48. |
Silene scaposa |
Silene sargentii |
|
Phenology | Flowering early summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Subalpine grassy, gravelly, or rocky slopes, ponderosa pine forests, juniper scrub, sagebrush | Alpine grassy, gravelly, or rocky slopes and ridges, openings in subalpine forests, sagebrush, and on juniper slopes |
Elevation | 900-3000 m (3000-9800 ft) | 2400-3800 m (7900-12500 ft) |
Distribution |
CO; ID; NV; OR
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CA; ID; NV; WA
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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 sargentii is very similar to S. suksdorfii, but that species has purple-septate hairs on the calyx and pedicels, whereas those on S. sargentii are colorless (see M. A. T. Showers 1987). Also, the cauline leaves of S. suksdorfii are narrowly oblanceolate rather than linear, and the basal leaves are marcescent. Silene sargentii may be confused with S. bernardina and can intergrade with it in Nevada. However, that species is usually larger with a longer, tubular calyx and petals that are deeply divided into 4–6 narrow lobes, unlike S. sargentii, which has 2-lobed petals. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 202. | FNA vol. 5, p. 202. |
Parent taxa | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. scaposa var. lobata | Lychnis californica, S. lacustris, S. watsonii |
Name authority | B. L. Robinson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 28: 145. (1893) | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 290. (1879) |
Web links |