Silene stellata
Silene subciliata
starry campion, widow's frill
Louisiana catchfly, prairie-fire pink, scarlet catchfly
several, simple proximal to inflorescence, 30–80 cm, puberulent, becoming subglabrous near base.
erect, scarcely branched, 20–100 cm, glabrous.
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.
blade linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 3–16 cm × 3–12 mm, ± fleshy, base tapering into short petiole, apex acute, glabrous except for few cilia at base.
paniculate, open, bracteate, bracteolate, branches elongate, puberulent;
bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 2–15 mm.
cymose, terminal and axillary, elongate, 1–3-flowered, open, bracteate, bracteolate, pedunculate;
peduncle slender, 2–10 cm;
bracts and bracteoles much-reduced, linear-lanceolate, often ciliate.
straight, often with 1 or 2 pairs of bracteoles, slender, 1/2–3 times calyx, glabrous or scabrous-puberulous.
slender, 2–10 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 tubular, 17–22 × 4–5 mm in flower, broadening to 7 mm in fruit but contracted around carpophore, glabrous, lobes lanceolate, 3–4 mm, margins membranous and ciliate near broad, obtuse apex;
corolla scarlet, 2–21/2 times longer than calyx, limb lanceolate, narrowed into claw, 4–5 mm wide, margins entire or shallowly dentate, appendages linear, 4–5 mm;
stamens exserted;
styles 3, exserted.
globose, opening by 3 broadly triangular teeth;
carpophore 2–3 mm.
clavate, equaling calyx, opening by 6 teeth;
carpophore 3–4 mm.
dark brown, reniform, ca. 1 mm, papillate.
brown, broadly reniform, 2–2.3 mm, rugose.
= (34), 48.
= 48.
Silene stellata
Silene subciliata
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.)
Silene subciliata, a very rare species, is closely related to S. laciniata and S. virginica but is readily distinguished by its subglabrous stems and leaves and by having unlobed petals.
Silene subciliata is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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