Silene suksdorfii
Silene occidentalis
Cascade alpine campion, Cascade alpine catchfly, Cascade catchfly, Suksdorf's catchfly, Suksdorf's silene
western campion, western catchfly
numerous, erect, simple, 3–15 cm, pubescent, viscid-glandular distally.
erect, simple proximal to inflorescence, 30–60 cm, softly pubescent and stipitate-glandular.
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.
2 per node;
basal ± petiolate, petiole ciliate, blade oblanceolate, spatulate, 5–12 cm × 7–20 mm, apex acute, short-pubescent on both surfaces;
cauline in 3(–4) pairs, reduced distally, blade oblanceolate to lanceolate.
flowers terminal, solitary, or in single dichotomy, bracteate;
bracts leaflike, 3–15 mm.
open, narrow, with ascending branches, 9–25-flowered, bracteate, pubescent and stipitate-glandular;
bracts narrowly lanceolate, ciliate.
erect, ca. equaling calyx, viscid glandular-pubescent, hairs with purple septa.
1/2–3 times longer than calyx.
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 10-veined, tubular in flower and fruit, umbilicate, somewhat constricted around carpophore, 15–38 × 3–6 mm, papery, sparsely pubescent and stipitate-glandular, veins parallel, green, with pale commissures, lobes 5, broadly ovate, 2–4 mm, scarious around green midrib;
corolla pink or rose red (rarely white), clawed, claw equaling calyx, limb oblong, fanlike, deeply 4-lobed, lobes divergent, lanceolate (rarely with only 2 lobes, each with small lateral tooth), (7–)10–20 mm, appendages linear, 2–4 mm;
stamens exserted, shorter than petals;
stigmas 3, shorter than petals.
equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8) teeth;
carpophore 2.5–3.5 mm.
narrowly ovate-elliptic, longer than calyx, opening by 6 recurved teeth;
carpophore 4–18 mm.
brown, broadly winged, reniform, 1–2 mm, rugose-tessellate.
grayish brown, reniform, 1–1.5 mm, verrucate.
= 48.
= 48.
Silene suksdorfii
Silene occidentalis
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.)
The long, tubular calyx and the proportionally long carpophore of Silene occidentalis are remarkable. Plants with the longest calyx tubes (more than 30 mm) have been referred to subsp. longistipitata and appear to be confined to Butte County. Calyx length varies greatly, however, and it is doubtful whether it is a justifiable basis for taxonomic recognition. The deeply lobed pink petals, together with its habit, give S. occidentalis a superficial resemblance to the European S. flos-cuculi, which occurs as an introduction on both sides of the North American continent.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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