Silene stellata
Silene repens
starry campion, widow's frill
creeping silene, pink campion
several, simple proximal to inflorescence, 30–80 cm, puberulent, becoming subglabrous near base.
erect to straggling, branched or simple, leafy, 7–35 cm, retrorse-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.
2 per node, sessile, blade 1-veined, linear, lanceolate, or narrowly oblong, tapered to base, apex acute, puberulent on both surfaces.
paniculate, open, bracteate, bracteolate, branches elongate, puberulent;
bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 2–15 mm.
cymose, compound, ca. (2–)5–20-flowered, usually compact, bracteate;
bracts narrowly lanceolate, 2–15 mm.
straight, often with 1 or 2 pairs of bracteoles, slender, 1/2–3 times calyx, glabrous or scabrous-puberulous.
ascending, 0.1–1(–2) cm, shorter or longer than calyx, eglandular or with scattered glands, pubescence white, dense, short.
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 obscurely 10-veined, tubular-campanulate, 10–15 × 3–5 mm in flower, becoming clavate and 5–6 mm broad in fruit, herbaceous, villous, veins purple tinged or entirely purple, without conspicuous pale commissures, lobes ovate, 1–2.5 mm, margins broad, scarious, apex obtuse;
corolla rose pink, rarely white, clawed, claw equaling calyx, broadened distally, limb obconic, 2-lobed, 3–7 mm, appendages 0.7–1.2 mm;
stamens equaling calyx;
styles 3(–4), exserted.
globose, opening by 3 broadly triangular teeth;
carpophore 2–3 mm.
ovoid, equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8) spreading teeth;
carpophore 4–7 mm.
dark brown, reniform, ca. 1 mm, papillate.
grayish brown, not winged, reniform, 0.8–1 mm, rugose on sides, margins shortly papillate.
= (34), 48.
= 24, 48.
Silene stellata
Silene repens
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.
Three subspecies have been recognized within Silene repens on the basis of stature and the development of purple pigment in the calyx. Northern populations in the flora area have been referred to subsp. purpurata because of the unusually heavy pigment of the calyx, while the disjunct populations in the central Rocky Mountains have been recognized as subsp. australis. However, both of these forms occur among collections from Eurasia that have been referred to subsp. repens. When material from populations of subsp. purpurata was grown farther south, it took on the appearance of subsp. australis, suggesting that the differences are under environmental influence.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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