Silene stellata
Silene wrightii
starry campion, widow's frill
Wright's catchfly
several, simple proximal to inflorescence, 30–80 cm, puberulent, becoming subglabrous near base.
several, simple or branched, spreading to ascending, leafy, 10–30 cm, densely pubescent, glandular.
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, mostly cauline, blade 1.5–6 cm × 3–14 mm, apex sharply acuminate, pubescent and viscid on both surfaces;
distal sessile, blade elliptic-lanceolate;
proximal short-petiolate, blade oblanceolate.
paniculate, open, bracteate, bracteolate, branches elongate, puberulent;
bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 2–15 mm.
leafy, flowers terminal and axillary.
straight, often with 1 or 2 pairs of bracteoles, slender, 1/2–3 times calyx, glabrous or scabrous-puberulous.
straight, rather slender, 1/5 times to equaling 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.
calyx prominently 10-veined, tubular to narrowly obconic in flower, 16–20 × 4–5 mm, clavate and broadening to 7 mm in fruit, narrowed proximally around carpophore, coarsely glandular-pubescent and viscid, veins parallel, green, with pale commissures, lobes narrowly lanceolate, 5–7 mm, margins narrow, membranous, apex acuminate;
corolla white to pale yellow, sometimes purple tinged, clawed, ca. 2 times calyx, claw longer than calyx, broadened into obtriangular limb, limb 5–8 mm, cleft ca. to middle into (2–)4–8 lanceolate to oblong lobes, appendages 2, very short;
stamens exserted, shorter than petals;
styles 3, exserted, slender, shorter than petals.
globose, opening by 3 broadly triangular teeth;
carpophore 2–3 mm.
narrowly ovoid, equaling calyx, opening by 3 teeth that tardily split into 6;
carpophore 3–6 mm.
dark brown, reniform, ca. 1 mm, papillate.
brown, broadly reniform, flattened, ca. 1.5 mm, sides rugose, margins papillate;
papillae conic, acute.
= (34), 48.
= 96.
Silene stellata
Silene wrightii
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 wrightii is an uncommon, distinct species with large, pale yellowish flowers and tubular to narrowly funnelform calyces with long, narrow, lanceolate lobes. The leaves are mainly cauline, with the largest in the mid-stem region. The stems are few-branched and arise in tufts from the very woody caudex.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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