Silene stellata
Silene antirrhina
starry campion, widow's frill
silène muflier, sleepy campion, sleepy catch fly, sleepy catchfly campion, sleepy silene
several, simple proximal to inflorescence, 30–80 cm, puberulent, becoming subglabrous near base.
erect, simple or branched, slender, to 80 cm, subglabrous to retrorsely puberulent especially proximally, distal internodes frequently glutinous.
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.
2 per node;
blade with margins ciliate toward base, apex acute to obtuse;
basal blades oblanceolate, spatulate;
cauline narrowly oblanceolate to linear, 1–9 cm × 2–15 mm, scabrous or puberulent, rarely glabrous on both surfaces.
paniculate, open, bracteate, bracteolate, branches elongate, puberulent;
bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 2–15 mm.
cymose, open, branches usually ascending, several- to many-flowered, 1-flowered in depauperate specimens.
straight, often with 1 or 2 pairs of bracteoles, slender, 1/2–3 times calyx, glabrous or scabrous-puberulous.
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.
mature calyx prominently 10-veined, campanulate to ovate, 5–9 × 3–5 mm, margins dentate, glabrous, veins parallel, with pale commissures;
lobes usually purple, triangular, acute, ca. 1 mm;
petals white, often suffused with dark red, rarely wholly dark red, limb ovate, usually 2-lobed, ca. 2.5 mm, slightly longer than calyx, rarely petals absent, claw narrow, appendages 0.1–0.4 mm;
stamens included;
styles 3;
stigmas included.
globose, opening by 3 broadly triangular teeth;
carpophore 2–3 mm.
equaling calyx, opening by 6 teeth;
carpophore less than 1 mm.
dark brown, reniform, ca. 1 mm, papillate.
dull gray-black, reniform, 0.5–0.8 mm diam., finely papillate.
= (34), 48.
= 24.
Silene stellata
Silene antirrhina
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.)
The six varieties and forms of Silene antirrhina noted above were named on the basis of stature and flower color, but none appear to be worthy of recognition. The species is very plastic, being greatly affected by moisture, exposure, and nutrients.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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