Silene suksdorfii
Silene sargentii
Cascade alpine campion, Cascade alpine catchfly, Cascade catchfly, Suksdorf's catchfly, Suksdorf's silene
Sargent's campion, Sargent's catchfly
numerous, erect, simple, 3–15 cm, pubescent, viscid-glandular distally.
erect, decumbent at base, simple, branched in flowering region, slender, 10–20(–25) cm, sparsely pubescent and 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.
mostly basal;
basal marcescent, densely tufted, long-petiolate, blade linear-oblanceolate, 1–3 cm × 0.5–3 mm, somewhat fleshy, setose-puberulent on both surfaces;
cauline in 1–3 pairs proximal to inflorescence, reduced distally, blade linear, 1–4 cm × 0.5–2 mm.
flowers terminal, solitary, or in single dichotomy, bracteate;
bracts leaflike, 3–15 mm.
1–3-flowered, with terminal flower, usually with 1 or 2 flowers at proximal nodes.
erect, ca. equaling calyx, viscid glandular-pubescent, hairs with purple septa.
erect, sometimes slightly bent at apex, 1/4–2 times calyx, viscid glandular-puberulent, septa of hairs colorless.
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, narrowly campanulate, ± umbilicate, not contracted proximally around carpophore, 9–18(–22) × 3–6 mm, papery, glandular-puberulent, viscid, hairs with colorless septa, veins parallel, purple, with pale commissures, lobes with midrib present, triangular, 2–3 mm, margins purple tinged, membranous, often broadened distally into round, crenulate lobe;
corolla off-white, usually pink or purple tinged, to 11/2 times longer than calyx, limb 2-lobed, 2–3 mm, sometimes with 2 small lateral teeth, appendages 2, ovate, 1–1.5 mm;
stamens slightly longer than calyx;
styles 3(–5), equaling petals.
equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8) teeth;
carpophore 2.5–3.5 mm.
included in calyx, opening by 6 (or 8 or 10) ascending teeth;
carpophore 1.5–3 mm, woolly.
brown, broadly winged, reniform, 1–2 mm, rugose-tessellate.
brown, reniform, ca. 1.5 mm, rugose on both surfaces, margins with large, inflated papillae.
= 48.
= 48.
Silene suksdorfii
Silene sargentii
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 sargentii is very similar to S. suksdorfii, but that species has purple-septate hairs on the calyx and pedicels, whereas those on S. sargentii are colorless (see M. A. T. Showers 1987). Also, the cauline leaves of S. suksdorfii are narrowly oblanceolate rather than linear, and the basal leaves are marcescent. Silene sargentii may be confused with S. bernardina and can intergrade with it in Nevada. However, that species is usually larger with a longer, tubular calyx and petals that are deeply divided into 4–6 narrow lobes, unlike S. sargentii, which has 2-lobed petals.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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