Silene scaposa |
Silene stellata |
|
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Blue Mountain catchfly, Robinson's catchfly, stem campion |
starry campion, widow's frill |
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Habit | Plants perennial, subscapose, cespitose; taproot stout; caudex branched, woody. | Plants perennial; taproot thick; caudex branched. |
Stems | several, erect, simple, 15–50 cm, puberulent, viscid-glandular distally. |
several, simple proximal to inflorescence, 30–80 cm, puberulent, becoming subglabrous near base. |
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. |
withering proximally, in whorls of 4, ± sessile to short-petiolate, largest in mid-stem region; blade lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 3–10 cm × 4–40 mm, apex acuminate, puberulent on both surfaces, sparsely so adaxially. |
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. |
paniculate, open, bracteate, bracteolate, branches elongate, puberulent; bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 2–15 mm. |
Pedicels | erect, elongate, 0.5–4.5 cm, glandular-puberulent. |
straight, often with 1 or 2 pairs of bracteoles, slender, 1/2–3 times calyx, glabrous or scabrous-puberulous. |
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 obscurely 10-veined, broadly campanulate, becoming obtriangular in fruit, 7–11 × 6–10 mm, herbaceous, margins dentate, very narrow, membranous, sparsely puberulent, lobes broadly triangular, 2–3 mm; corolla white, ca. 2 times longer than calyx, limb obtriangular, narrowed into claw, divided ca. 1/2 its length into 4–12 lobes, appendages absent; stamens equaling petals; styles 3, longer than petals. |
Capsules | slightly longer than calyx, opening by 3–5 teeth; carpophore 1.5–2.5 mm. |
globose, opening by 3 broadly triangular teeth; carpophore 2–3 mm. |
Seeds | brown, reniform, 1.2–2 mm, margins with large, inflated papillae, rugose on sides. |
dark brown, reniform, ca. 1 mm, papillate. |
2n | = 48. |
= (34), 48. |
Silene scaposa |
Silene stellata |
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Phenology | Flowering early summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Subalpine grassy, gravelly, or rocky slopes, ponderosa pine forests, juniper scrub, sagebrush | Rich deciduous woods, river flats, tall-grass prairies |
Elevation | 900-3000 m (3000-9800 ft) | 0-1300 m (0-4300 ft) |
Distribution |
CO; ID; NV; OR
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AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV
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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 stellata is a very distinct species with its broadly lanceolate leaves in groups of four at each node, and its brilliant white, multilobed petals. Two varieties are recognized by some workers: var. stellata, with glabrous pedicels; and var. scabrella, with scabrous pedicels. The former tends to have longer, more slender pedicels and be more common towards the northeast, whereas the latter tends to be more western. The correlation of characters and distribution is poor, however, and intermediate plants are often encountered. Silene stellata was collected near the Grand River, Cambridge, Ontario, in 1941, but was probably introduced there and has not been seen since. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 202. | FNA vol. 5, p. 207. |
Parent taxa | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. scaposa var. lobata | Cucubalus stellatus, S. scabrella, S. stellata var. scabrella |
Name authority | B. L. Robinson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 28: 145. (1893) | (Linnaeus) W. T. Aiton: in W. Aiton and W. T. Aiton, Hortus Kew. 3: 84. (1811) |
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