Silene suksdorfii
Silene bridgesii
Cascade alpine campion, Cascade alpine catchfly, Cascade catchfly, Suksdorf's catchfly, Suksdorf's silene
Bridges' campion, Bridges' catchfly
numerous, erect, simple, 3–15 cm, pubescent, viscid-glandular distally.
erect, with 3–6 pairs of leaves below inflorescence, 30–80 cm, short-pubescent, glandular and somewhat viscid distally.
mostly basal, densely tufted;
basal numerous, pseudopetiolate, blade narrowly oblanceolate, tapering into base, 0.5–3 cm × 1.5–4 mm, ± fleshy, apex acute, puberulent;
cauline in 1–3 pairs, ± sessile, reduced, blade narrowly oblanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 0.7–2 cm × 1–3 mm, apex acute, puberulent.
proximal petiolate, blade oblanceolate, 3–6(–8) cm × 5–15 mm (including petiole), base tapered into short petiole, apex acute to obtuse and apiculate, short-pubescent on both surfaces, pubescence rather sparse adaxially;
cauline leaves sessile, blade elliptic-lanceolate, 2–6 cm × 5–15 mm.
flowers terminal, solitary, or in single dichotomy, bracteate;
bracts leaflike, 3–15 mm.
branched, several–many-flowered, open, bracteate, flowering portion to 15 cm and ca. 1/2 as broad, glandular and viscid;
cymules usually 1–3-flowered;
bracts narrowly lanceolate, shorter than pedicel;
peduncle shorter than internodes.
erect, ca. equaling calyx, viscid glandular-pubescent, hairs with purple septa.
divaricate, sharply bent distally, 5–15 mm.
calyx prominently 10-veined, campanulate, not contracted proximally around carpophore, 10–15 × 5–7 mm, papery, veins parallel, purplish, with pale commissures, with purple-septate glandular hairs (rarely septa not purple), lobes ovate, ca. 2 mm, margins broad, membranous, apex obtuse;
corolla off-white or tinged with dusky purple, clawed, claw equaling calyx, broadened distally, limb 2-lobed, 3–5 mm, appendages ca. 1 mm;
stamens equaling calyx;
styles 3(–4), equaling calyx.
nodding;
calyx prominently 10-veined, tubular to campanulate, umbilicate but narrowed at base, lobed, 9–11 × 3–5 mm in flower, in fruit ovate to turbinate, 5–8 mm broad, viscid-pubescent, veins parallel, green, papery between;
lobes 5, narrowly lanceolate, obtuse, 2–3 mm, ciliate;
corolla ± white, often greenish abaxially and pink tinged, 2 times calyx;
petals 2-lobed, margins entire to erose, appendages linear, narrow, 1–2.5 mm;
stamens often long-exserted;
filaments pubescent at base;
styles persistent, 3, long-exserted, filamentous, exceeding 2 times calyx.
equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8) teeth;
carpophore 2.5–3.5 mm.
broadly ovoid, ca. equaling calyx, opening by 6 ascending, triangular teeth;
carpophore 2–3 mm.
brown, broadly winged, reniform, 1–2 mm, rugose-tessellate.
reddish brown, reniform, 1.2–1.8 mm broad, coarsely papillate.
= 48.
= 48.
Silene suksdorfii
Silene bridgesii
Silene suksdorfii appears to be closely related to S. parryi but differs in its broadly winged seeds, smaller size, cespitose habit, and the prominent purple-septate hairs of the calyx, although the latter occasionally are present in S. parryi. It is very similar to, and in Idaho appears to intergrade with, another alpine species, S. sargentii, which has linear leaves and lacks the purple septa in the hairs and the broad wing on the seeds. It is similar also to S. hitchguirei; see discussion under that species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Silene bridgesii is similar to S. lemmonii but usually can be distinguished by its larger size, broader and larger leaves, the near-absence of sterile basal shoots, and larger floral parts and fruits. Although S. longistylis has often been cited as a synonym of S. lemmonii, examination of the holotype (Henderson s.n., GH) indicates that it is referable to S. bridgesii.
Silene bridgesii is found in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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