The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

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

Parry's, Parry's campion, Parry's catchfly, Parry's silene

Habit Plants perennial, cespitose, with decumbent subterranean shoots; taproot stout; caudex branched, woody. Plants perennial; taproot thick; caudex branched, woody, with tufts of basal leaves.
Stems

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

erect, simple, (10–)20–60 cm, softly puberulent, viscid-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.

mostly basal;

basal petiolate, blade oblanceolate, spatulate, 3–8 cm × 2–14 mm, not fleshy, margins shortly ciliate, apex ± acute, glabrous to puberulent on both surfaces;

cauline usually in 2–4 pairs, blade narrowly oblanceolate, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 0.2–0.8 cm × 10–80 mm, not fleshy, puberulent on both surfaces, at least distal ones glandular.

Inflorescences

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

bracts leaflike, 3–15 mm.

(1–)3–7-flowered, open, bracteate;

bracts linear-lanceolate, broadened at base, 2–10 mm.

Pedicels

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

ascending, usually longer than calyx, puberulent, viscid stipitate-glandular.

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.

calyx prominently 10-veined, campanulate, inflated, ± umbilicate, not or only slightly constricted toward base, (10–)12–16 × 7–9 mm in fruit, glandular-pubescent, strongly viscid, veins parallel, purplish, with pale commissures, not much broadened distally, commissural veins slender, forked distally and fused to those of lobes, lobes ovate to broadly triangular with lanceolate midrib, 2–3 mm, margins purple tinged, broad, membranous;

corolla white, often tinged green or purple, clawed, claw equaling calyx, glabrous, broadened distally, limb deeply 2-lobed, rarely 4-lobed, 5–7 mm, lobes with 2 prominent lateral teeth, appendages 2(–4), 1.5–2 mm;

stamens equaling calyx;

stigmas 3(–5), exserted.

Capsules

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

carpophore 2.5–3.5 mm.

included in calyx, opening by 3(–5) teeth, each tardily splitting into 2;

carpophore 2–3 mm.

Seeds

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

brown, not winged, broadly reniform and often flattened, 1.5–2.5 mm, rugose to shallowly tuberculate on sides, larger tubercules on margins.

2n

= 48.

= 48, 96.

Silene suksdorfii

Silene parryi

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Alpine ridges, gravel slopes, talus Mountains, gravelly ridges, rocky and grassy slopes, subalpine meadows, grassy openings in montane forests
Elevation 1600-3000 m (5200-9800 ft) 1500-3000 m (4900-9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Silene parryi is very similar to S. douglasii, but the latter is normally eglandular with a characteristic short, gray, retrorse pubescence. The two species may hybridize, accounting for the occurrence of populations of S. douglasii with some glandular pubescence in the inflorescence. Silene parryi is closely related also to S. scouleri, but the latter is normally readily distinguished by its pink flowers; taller stature; long, narrow, many-flowered inflorescences; and fusiform fruiting calyces that are constricted around the carpophore. However, some depauperate specimens of S. scouleri from montane habitats are difficult to place. Also, small plants of S. parryi from alpine habitats can easily be mistaken for S. grayi. The anthers of S. parryi are often smutted with Microbotryum violaceum (Persoon) G. Deml & Oberwinker [= Ustilago violacea (Persoon) Roussel], e.g., in the type collection of S. tetonensis.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 209. FNA vol. 5, p. 197.
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. marmorensis, S. menziesii, S. nachlingerae, S. nivea, S. noctiflora, S. nuda, S. occidentalis, S. oregana, S. ostenfeldii, S. ovata, S. parishii, 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
Synonyms Lychnis parryi, S. douglasii var. macounii, S. macounii, S. scouleri var. macounii, S. tetonensis, S. tetragyna, Wahlbergella parryi
Name authority B. L. Robinson: Bot. Gaz. 16: 44, plate 6, figs. 9–11. (1891) (S. Watson) C. L. Hitchcock & Maguire: Revis. N. Amer. Silene, 36. (1947)
Web links