Silene suksdorfii
Silene pseudatocion
Cascade alpine campion, Cascade alpine catchfly, Cascade catchfly, Suksdorf's catchfly, Suksdorf's silene
North African catchfly
numerous, erect, simple, 3–15 cm, pubescent, viscid-glandular distally.
straggling to erect, much-branched, elongate, 20–70 cm, sparsely retrorse-puberulent.
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, sessile with spatulate, broad, ciliate base, blade oblanceolate, 1.3–5 cm × 4–15 mm, apex acuminate, glabrous or sparsely setose.
flowers terminal, solitary, or in single dichotomy, bracteate;
bracts leaflike, 3–15 mm.
cymose, open, compound, pedunculate;
bracts leaflike, lanceolate, 3–15 mm, apex acuminate;
peduncle ascending, elongate, viscid stipitate-glandular.
erect, ca. equaling calyx, viscid glandular-pubescent, hairs with purple septa.
ascending, elongate, viscid stipitate-glandular.
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, clavate, with long, slender tube surrounding carpophore, 17–20 × 4–6 mm, veins parallel, green or purple with purple stipitate glands, with pale commissures, lobes lanceolate, 2–3 mm, margins ciliate, apex acute;
corolla bright pink, clawed, claw slightly longer than calyx, limb obovate, unlobed, ca. 1 cm, appendages 2, oblong, 2 mm, entire;
stamens included in tip of calyx tube;
styles 3, exserted.
equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8) teeth;
carpophore 2.5–3.5 mm.
ovoid, slightly longer than calyx, opening by 6 recurved teeth;
carpophore 9–10 mm, pubescent.
brown, broadly winged, reniform, 1–2 mm, rugose-tessellate.
dull and very dark brown, almost globose, inrolled like a clenched fist, 1–1.3 mm, sides with radiating wrinkles, finely tuberculate abaxially.
= 48.
= 24 (Balearic Islands).
Silene suksdorfii
Silene pseudatocion
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 pseudatocion is occasionally grown in gardens and rarely occurs as a weed in California. It is similar to another garden escape, S. pendula, but it differs in having a calyx tube with a very long, slender base and unlobed petals.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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