Silene suksdorfii
Silene thurberi
Cascade alpine campion, Cascade alpine catchfly, Cascade catchfly, Suksdorf's catchfly, Suksdorf's silene
Thurber's catchfly, woolly catchfly
numerous, erect, simple, 3–15 cm, pubescent, viscid-glandular distally.
several, erect, freely branched, leafy, elongate, 30–80 cm, scabrid-puberulent and glandular-viscid.
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 long-petiolate, blade oblanceolate, (2–)5–18 cm × 5–30 mm, base narrowed into petiole, apex ± acute, glandular-puberulent on both surfaces;
cauline not greatly reduced in distal stem, blade 5–15 cm × 10–20 mm, viscid glandular-pubescent, sparsely so in shade forms, proximal petiolate and blade oblanceolate, distal sessile and blade lanceolate, apex acute.
flowers terminal, solitary, or in single dichotomy, bracteate;
bracts leaflike, 3–15 mm.
open, elongate, dichotomously branched, branches ascending, bracteate;
bracts leaflike, reduced distally.
erect, ca. equaling calyx, viscid glandular-pubescent, hairs with purple septa.
ascending, may be partially deflexed, rather slender, longer than calyx, viscid glandular-pubescent with septate hairs, septa 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, tubular in flower, 8–12 × 2–4 mm, swelling to campanulate and 5–7 mm broad in fruit, not contracted proximally around carpophore, viscid glandular-pubescent, especially on veins, veins parallel, green, with pale commissures, those to lobes broadened distally, lobes erect, narrowly lanceolate, 3–4 mm, rigid, setose-scabrous, glandular-viscid, apex recurved;
corolla greenish white, claw equaling calyx, limb 2-lobed, ca. 3 mm, appendages ca. 0.5 mm, margins erose;
stamens equaling petals;
styles 3, equaling petals.
equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8) teeth;
carpophore 2.5–3.5 mm.
slightly exserted from calyx, narrowly ovoid, opening by 6 teeth;
carpophore 1–2 mm.
brown, broadly winged, reniform, 1–2 mm, rugose-tessellate.
almost black, ellipsoid-reniform, ca. 1 mm, coarsely papillate;
papillae inflated.
= 48.
= 48.
Silene suksdorfii
Silene thurberi
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 thurberi is a rare, coarse, scabrous, and viscid herb with small, inconspicuous flowers on elongate pseudoracemes or open dichasia. The veins on the small calyces are usually green and conspicuously broaden into the recurved teeth. It is more common in Mexico.
Silene rectiramea is very similar but differs in its somewhat smaller calyx; short, ovate calyx lobes; and entire corolla appendages.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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