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Cascade alpine campion, Cascade alpine catchfly, Cascade catchfly, Suksdorf's catchfly, Suksdorf's silene

Marble Mountain campion, Marble Mountain catchfly, Marble Mountain or Somes Bar campion

Habit Plants perennial, cespitose, with decumbent subterranean shoots; taproot stout; caudex branched, woody. Plants perennial; taproot long, stout; caudex branched, woody, producing several erect flowering shoots.
Stems

numerous, erect, simple, 3–15 cm, pubescent, viscid-glandular distally.

erect, simple proximal to inflorescence, 25–80 cm, puberulent, glandular distally.

Leaves

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.

in 5–7 pairs proximal to inflorescence, sessile, blade lanceolate, narrowed to base, apex acute;

proximal withering, becoming smaller in inflorescence, 2–5 cm × 3–10 mm, sparsely scabrous-pubescent on both surfaces.

Inflorescences

flowers terminal, solitary, or in single dichotomy, bracteate;

bracts leaflike, 3–15 mm.

cymose, terminal, pedunculate, 1–3-flowered, open, bracteate, bracteolate, 10–25 cm, pubescence dense, hairs septate-glandular, septa colorless;

cymes paired at each node;

peduncle ascending, 1–3 cm;

bracts and bracteoles leaflike, reduced distally to 2 mm.

Pedicels

erect, ca. equaling calyx, viscid glandular-pubescent, hairs with purple septa.

not bent in fruit, 1/2 to equaling calyx.

Flowers

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.

nocturnal;

calyx prominently 10-veined, campanulate, 12–14 × 4–6 mm in flower, becoming obovate to obconic and to 10 mm broad in fruit, not contracted proximally around carpophore, margins dentate, glandular-pubescent, veins parallel, with pale commissures, lobes lanceolate-acuminate, 3–4 mm, membranous, margins narrow, apex blunt, veins green;

corolla pale pink, greenish abaxially, clawed, claw equaling calyx, limb oblong, deeply 2-lobed, 4–6 mm, appendages 2, oblong, ca. 1 mm;

stamens equaling petals;

stigmas 3, equaling petals.

Capsules

equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8) teeth;

carpophore 2.5–3.5 mm.

obovoid, equaling calyx and often splitting it at maturity, opening by 5 teeth;

carpophore 3–4 mm.

Seeds

brown, broadly winged, reniform, 1–2 mm, rugose-tessellate.

black, reniform, 2–3 mm, tuberculate;

tubercles conic, in concentric rows.

2n

= 48.

= 48.

Silene suksdorfii

Silene marmorensis

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Alpine ridges, gravel slopes, talus Oak woodlands, coniferous forests
Elevation 1600-3000 m (5200-9800 ft) 800-1000 m (2600-3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Of conservation concern.

Silene marmorensis is closely related to S. bridgesii but has a narrower inflorescence, pedicels that are ascending instead of deflexed, and styles and stamens that are about equal to the petals. As in S. bridgesii and S. lemmonii, the flowers open at night and are probably moth-pollinated. The species is known only from Humboldt and Siskiyou counties.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 209. FNA vol. 5, p. 192.
Parent taxa Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene
Sibling taxa
S. acaulis, S. antirrhina, S. aperta, S. armeria, S. bernardina, S. bridgesii, S. campanulata, S. caroliniana, S. chalcedonica, S. conica, S. coniflora, S. conoidea, S. coronaria, S. csereii, S. dichotoma, S. dioica, S. douglasii, S. drummondii, S. flos-cuculi, S. gallica, S. grayi, S. hitchguirei, S. hookeri, S. invisa, S. involucrata, S. kingii, S. laciniata, S. latifolia, S. lemmonii, S. marmorensis, S. menziesii, S. nachlingerae, S. nivea, S. noctiflora, S. nuda, S. occidentalis, S. oregana, S. ostenfeldii, S. ovata, S. parishii, S. parryi, S. pendula, S. petersonii, S. plankii, S. polypetala, S. pseudatocion, S. rectiramea, S. regia, S. repens, S. rotundifolia, S. sargentii, S. scaposa, S. scouleri, S. seelyi, S. serpentinicola, S. sibirica, S. sorensenis, S. spaldingii, S. stellata, S. subciliata, S. suecica, S. thurberi, S. uralensis, S. verecunda, S. virginica, S. viscaria, S. vulgaris, S. williamsii, S. wrightii
S. acaulis, S. antirrhina, S. aperta, S. armeria, S. bernardina, S. bridgesii, S. campanulata, S. caroliniana, S. chalcedonica, S. conica, S. coniflora, S. conoidea, S. coronaria, S. csereii, S. dichotoma, S. dioica, S. douglasii, S. drummondii, S. flos-cuculi, S. gallica, S. grayi, S. hitchguirei, S. hookeri, S. invisa, S. involucrata, S. kingii, S. laciniata, S. latifolia, S. lemmonii, S. menziesii, S. nachlingerae, S. nivea, S. noctiflora, S. nuda, S. occidentalis, S. oregana, S. ostenfeldii, S. ovata, S. parishii, S. parryi, S. pendula, S. petersonii, S. plankii, S. polypetala, S. pseudatocion, S. rectiramea, S. regia, S. repens, S. rotundifolia, S. sargentii, S. scaposa, S. scouleri, S. seelyi, S. serpentinicola, S. sibirica, S. sorensenis, S. spaldingii, S. stellata, S. subciliata, S. suecica, S. suksdorfii, S. thurberi, S. uralensis, S. verecunda, S. virginica, S. viscaria, S. vulgaris, S. williamsii, S. wrightii
Name authority B. L. Robinson: Bot. Gaz. 16: 44, plate 6, figs. 9–11. (1891) Kruckeberg: Madroño 15: 174, figs. 1–3. (1960)
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