Silene stellata
Silene douglasii
starry campion, widow's frill
Douglas' campion, Douglas' catchfly, Douglas' silene, mountain navarretia, seabluff catchfly
several, simple proximal to inflorescence, 30–80 cm, puberulent, becoming subglabrous near base.
several–many, ascending from decumbent base, usually unbranched, slender, 10–40(–70) cm, with short, fine, dense, retrorse or curled grayish white hairs, rarely subglabrous, typically not glandular but occasionally somewhat glandular distally.
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, finely retrorse;
blade with no visible lateral veins, midrib distinct, oblanceolate, elliptic to linear, 2–10 cm × 1.5–13 mm, apex acute, puberulent to glabrous;
basal leaves numerous, blade spatulate;
cauline in 1–8 pairs, distal ones sessile.
paniculate, open, bracteate, bracteolate, branches elongate, puberulent;
bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 2–15 mm.
typically cymose, occasionally with reduced lateral cymes, 1- or 3-flowered, open, bracteate, grayish white retrorse-puberulent, typically not glandular, rarely with few stipitate glands;
bracts narrowly lanceolate, 2–10 × 0.5–2 mm, herbaceous, puberulent.
straight, often with 1 or 2 pairs of bracteoles, slender, 1/2–3 times calyx, glabrous or scabrous-puberulous.
ascending, straight, 0.5–4 cm.
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.
calyx green, sometimes suffused with purple, prominently 10-veined, tubular in flower, campanulate and ± inflated in fruit, occasionally somewhat constricted near base, 12–15 × 3–10 mm, papery, grayish white retrorse-puberulent and eglandular, often ciliate, rarely glabrous or with few stipitate glands, veins parallel, green, forked and connate between lobes, lobes 5, erect, ovate-triangular, 2–3 mm, margins membranous, apex blunt;
corolla creamy white, often greenish and occasionally tinged with dark pink, clawed, to 2 times calyx, claw slightly longer than calyx, limb obovate-lanceolate, deeply 2-lobed, 4–11 mm, lobes oblong, rounded, margins entire to erose, appendages 1–2(–3) mm;
stamens equaling corolla claw;
styles 3–5, 1–11/2 times corolla claw.
globose, opening by 3 broadly triangular teeth;
carpophore 2–3 mm.
ovoid-ellipsoid, 11/3 times calyx, opening by 3–5 ascending to spreading teeth;
carpophore 3–4 mm.
dark brown, reniform, ca. 1 mm, papillate.
rusty brown, broadly reniform, sides flat, 1.2–1.5 mm, margins coarsely papillate, verrucate-tuberculate.
= (34), 48.
Silene stellata
Silene douglasii
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.)
Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).
Silene douglasii is usually readily recognized by its characteristic short, retrorse, grayish-white, eglandular pubescence on the calyx and pedicels. This, together with the usual absence of lateral teeth on the petals, appears to be the only reliable character separating it from S. parryi. However, intermediates between the two species occur, and it is probable that the occasional plants of S. douglasii with stipitate-glandular hairs in the inflorescence (e.g., var. rupinae and some plants that have been referred to var. monantha) have arisen through gene exchange with S. parryi, although it should be noted that A. R. Kruckeberg (1961) reported that such hybrids, when artificially produced, were sterile.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaf blades 3-13 mm wide, 0.3-0.7 mm thick, fleshy; calyces strongly inflated, (4-)7-10(-12) mm diam. at anthesis; petal limbs 5-11 mm wide, often with lateral tooth on each side; coastal Oregon | var. oraria |
1. Leaf blades 1.5-9 mm wide, 0.1-0.5 mm thick, not fleshy; calyces not strongly inflated, (3-)5-8(-10) mm diam. at anthesis; petal limbs 1-5 mm wide, usually without lateral teeth; widespread in w North America | → 2 |
2. Leaf blades 1.5-5 mm wide, typically over 15 times longer than wide, ± linear; pubescence on inflorecences and calyces often glandular; cliffs and ledges of Columbia River gorge | Silene douglasii var. rupinae |
2. Leaf blades 2-9 mm wide, typically 5-10 times longer than wide, oblanceolate to elliptic to broadly linear; pubescence on inflorescences and calyces eglandular (very rarely with few stipitate glands); widespread in w North America | var. douglasii |
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