Silene suksdorfii
Silene coniflora
Cascade alpine campion, Cascade alpine catchfly, Cascade catchfly, Suksdorf's catchfly, Suksdorf's silene
fire following campion, manynerve catchfly, multinerve catchfly
numerous, erect, simple, 3–15 cm, pubescent, viscid-glandular distally.
erect, simple or branched, 20–65 cm, glandular-pubescent.
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 forming rosette, blade oblanceolate, spatulate, 3–8(–12) cm × 5–13(–25) mm, apex ± obtuse, sparingly pubescent and glandular;
cauline reduced distally, blade lanceolate, 1–7 cm × 2–15 mm, apex ± acute, sparingly pubescent and glandular.
flowers terminal, solitary, or in single dichotomy, bracteate;
bracts leaflike, 3–15 mm.
dichasiate, open, bracteate;
bracts leaflike, to 15 mm.
erect, ca. equaling calyx, viscid glandular-pubescent, hairs with purple septa.
ascending, 1–3(–5) cm, densely glandular-pubescent, viscid.
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.
calyx prominently 20–25-veined, ovate-conic, 8–12 mm, margins dentate, coarsely pubescent, glandular, lobes erect, narrowly lanceolate, 2–3 mm, margins membranous ca. 1/4 length of calyx;
corolla inconspicuous, cream, purple tinged adaxially, dull orange abaxially, equaling or slightly longer than calyx, limb ovate, 1–3 mm, apex notched, appendages absent, auricles round, small;
stamens shorter than corolla;
stigmas 3, shorter than corolla.
equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8) teeth;
carpophore 2.5–3.5 mm.
tightly enclosed in calyx, ovoid, with narrow opening, opening by 6 triangular teeth ca. 1 mm;
carpophore ca. 1 mm.
brown, broadly winged, reniform, 1–2 mm, rugose-tessellate.
dark brown to black, rotund, 0.6–1 mm broad, papillate.
= 48.
= 20 (Asia).
Silene suksdorfii
Silene coniflora
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 coniflora apparently was introduced into North America in the early days of European exploration and settlement of the Pacific coast. It occurs as a native species from the eastern shores of the Mediterranean to Pakistan and Afghanistan. The report by C. V. Piper (1906) of its occurrence in Washington is based on a specimen of S. conica. I have been unable to confirm the statement by M. E. Peck (1961) that S. multinervia is “sparingly introduced” along the coast of Oregon.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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- Local floras: CA
- Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos
- WildflowerSearch
- iNaturalist (observations)
- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
