Silene stellata
Silene plankii
starry campion, widow's frill
plank's catchfly, Rio Grande fire pink
several, simple proximal to inflorescence, 30–80 cm, puberulent, becoming subglabrous near base.
ascending, branched, wiry, leafy, slender, 10–20 cm, finely retrorse gray-puberulent.
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.
largest in mid-stem region;
blade linear to narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, 1–4 cm × 1–5 mm, apex sharply acuminate, glandular-puberulent.
paniculate, open, bracteate, bracteolate, branches elongate, puberulent;
bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 2–15 mm.
with flowers usually solitary, terminal on branches.
straight, often with 1 or 2 pairs of bracteoles, slender, 1/2–3 times calyx, glabrous or scabrous-puberulous.
shorter than calyx, glandular-puberulent.
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 10-veined, tubular, constricted around carpophore, umbilicate, 20–30 × 3–6 mm, papery, green, glandular-puberulent, lobes lanceolate, 2–4 mm, margins membranous, apex acute;
corolla scarlet, clawed, claw equaling calyx, limb obconic, 2-lobed, 7–10 mm, margins entire or crenate, appendages ± lacerate, 1–1.5 mm;
stamens exserted, ± equaling corolla lobes;
styles 3, exserted, ± equaling corolla lobes.
globose, opening by 3 broadly triangular teeth;
carpophore 2–3 mm.
narrowly ellipsoid, equaling calyx, opening by 6 recurved, brittle teeth;
carpophore ca. 5 mm.
dark brown, reniform, ca. 1 mm, papillate.
brown, reniform, 1.5 mm, rugose in concentric rings on sides, margins papillate.
= (34), 48.
= 48.
Silene stellata
Silene plankii
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.)
Of conservation concern.
Silene plankii is a close relative of S. laciniata, differing in its compact tufted growth, small and narrow leaves, and shallowly two-lobed petals. It is endemic to the Del Carmen Mountains on either side of the Rio Grande valley. Plants of S. laciniata with a habit and leaves similar to S. plankii but the deeply laciniate petals of S. laciniata occur on the cliffs of Santa Cruz Island off the coast of California.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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