Silene scaposa |
Silene suksdorfii |
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Blue Mountain catchfly, Robinson's catchfly, stem campion |
Cascade alpine campion, Cascade alpine catchfly, Cascade catchfly, Suksdorf's catchfly, Suksdorf's silene |
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Habit | Plants perennial, subscapose, cespitose; taproot stout; caudex branched, woody. | Plants perennial, cespitose, with decumbent subterranean shoots; taproot stout; caudex branched, woody. |
Stems | several, erect, simple, 15–50 cm, puberulent, viscid-glandular distally. |
numerous, erect, simple, 3–15 cm, pubescent, 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, densely tufted; basal numerous, pseudopetiolate, blade narrowly oblanceolate, tapering into base, 0.5–3 cm × 1.5–4 mm, ± fleshy, apex acute, puberulent; cauline in 1–3 pairs, ± sessile, reduced, blade narrowly oblanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 0.7–2 cm × 1–3 mm, apex acute, puberulent. |
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. |
flowers terminal, solitary, or in single dichotomy, bracteate; bracts leaflike, 3–15 mm. |
Pedicels | erect, elongate, 0.5–4.5 cm, glandular-puberulent. |
erect, ca. equaling calyx, viscid glandular-pubescent, hairs with purple septa. |
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, not contracted proximally around carpophore, 10–15 × 5–7 mm, papery, veins parallel, purplish, with pale commissures, with purple-septate glandular hairs (rarely septa not purple), lobes ovate, ca. 2 mm, margins broad, membranous, apex obtuse; corolla off-white or tinged with dusky purple, clawed, claw equaling calyx, broadened distally, limb 2-lobed, 3–5 mm, appendages ca. 1 mm; stamens equaling calyx; styles 3(–4), equaling calyx. |
Capsules | slightly longer than calyx, opening by 3–5 teeth; carpophore 1.5–2.5 mm. |
equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8) teeth; carpophore 2.5–3.5 mm. |
Seeds | brown, reniform, 1.2–2 mm, margins with large, inflated papillae, rugose on sides. |
brown, broadly winged, reniform, 1–2 mm, rugose-tessellate. |
2n | = 48. |
= 48. |
Silene scaposa |
Silene suksdorfii |
|
Phenology | Flowering early summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Subalpine grassy, gravelly, or rocky slopes, ponderosa pine forests, juniper scrub, sagebrush | Alpine ridges, gravel slopes, talus |
Elevation | 900-3000 m (3000-9800 ft) | 1600-3000 m (5200-9800 ft) |
Distribution |
CO; ID; NV; OR
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CA; OR; 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 suksdorfii appears to be closely related to S. parryi but differs in its broadly winged seeds, smaller size, cespitose habit, and the prominent purple-septate hairs of the calyx, although the latter occasionally are present in S. parryi. It is very similar to, and in Idaho appears to intergrade with, another alpine species, S. sargentii, which has linear leaves and lacks the purple septa in the hairs and the broad wing on the seeds. It is similar also to S. hitchguirei; see discussion under that species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 202. | FNA vol. 5, p. 209. |
Parent taxa | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. scaposa var. lobata | |
Name authority | B. L. Robinson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 28: 145. (1893) | B. L. Robinson: Bot. Gaz. 16: 44, plate 6, figs. 9–11. (1891) |
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