Silene stellata
Silene involucrata
starry campion, widow's frill
arctic campion, arctic catchfly, Drummond's campion
several, simple proximal to inflorescence, 30–80 cm, puberulent, becoming subglabrous near base.
several, erect, simple or branched, 10–45 cm, usually with 2–5 pairs of leaves.
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.
mainly basal, petiolate;
blade narrowly oblanceolate, ± spatulate, 20–60 × 3–5(–10) mm (including petiole), glabrous to pubescent, especially on margins and abaxial veins, pubescence spreading, short, stiff, mainly eglandular.
paniculate, open, bracteate, bracteolate, branches elongate, puberulent;
bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 2–15 mm.
1–3-flowered, open, bracteate, pubescent, usually densely so, hairs long, flexuous, purple-septate, mostly glandular;
bracts narrowly lanceolate, 4–10 mm, usually pubescent.
straight, often with 1 or 2 pairs of bracteoles, slender, 1/2–3 times calyx, glabrous or scabrous-puberulous.
usually several times longer than 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.
pedicellate, rarely sessile, erect, 8–16 mm diam.;
calyx prominently 10-veined, not inflated or thin, campanulate or ovate, 8–20 mm, pubescent, especially on veins, rarely almost glabrous, hairs long and short purple-septate, ± glandular, veins heavily suffused with purple (rarely green), sinuses between veins pale, cream colored;
petals white, often pink or purple tinged, claw equaling calyx, limb not differentiated from claw, emarginate to obovate, often 2-lobed, ca. 1/2 as long as calyx;
stamens included in calyx, spreading horizontally;
styles 5, included in calyx.
globose, opening by 3 broadly triangular teeth;
carpophore 2–3 mm.
equaling calyx, opening by 5 teeth, tardily splitting into 10.
dark brown, reniform, ca. 1 mm, papillate.
brown, winged, ± reniform to angular, 1–1.5 mm diam.;
wing to 1/2 seed diam.
= (34), 48.
Silene stellata
Silene involucrata
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.)
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).
Silene involucrata is a very variable circumpolar and arctic-alpine species complex. Many of the variants have been treated as species by earlier workers. Here, a single species with two subspecies is recognized.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Calyx campanulate to ovoid, 10-20 mm in fruit; flowering stems sturdy, usually less than 20 cm, internodes equaling or shorter than leaves | subsp. involucrata |
1. Calyx campanulate, 8-10(-12) mm in fruit; flowering stems slender, usually over 30 cm, internodes longer than leaves | subsp. tenella |
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