Silene grayi

S. Watson

Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 291. 1879.

Common names: Gray’s catchfly
Endemic
Synonyms: Silene deflexa Eastwood
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 185. Mentioned on page 172, 186, 198, 212.

Plants perennial, with numerous, dense basal tufts of leaves; taproot stout; caudex much-branched, woody. Stems erect from sometimes decumbent base, little-branched, subscapose with 2–3 pairs of reduced leaves, 10–20 (–30) cm, finely retrorse-puberulent proximally, stipitate-glandular and viscid in inflorescence. Leaves: basal petiolate, blade oblanceolate to spatulate, (1.5–) 2–5 (–6) cm × 2–7 mm, thick and ± fleshy, apex broadly acute, puberulent on both surfaces; cauline blades linear-oblanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 0.5–2 cm × 1–3 mm. Inflorescences open, 1–3 (–5) -flowered, bracteate; bracts lanceolate, 2–7 mm, herbaceous. Pedicels erect and straight or slightly deflexed near apex, 5–20 mm, stipitate-glandular, hairs with colorless septa. Flowers: calyx prominently 10-veined, in flower broadly cylindric, 8–10 × 3–4 mm, in fruit becoming campanulate and somewhat contracted at base, 8–12 × 5–7 mm, membranous between veins, margins dentate, hairs with colorless septa, veins parallel, purplish, with pale commissures; lobes ovate, ca. 2 mm, shorter than tube, apex flushed with dark red, shortly apiculate with broad, scarious margins, glandular, puberulent; petals exserted, pink to dusky purple, clawed, claw equaling or slightly longer than calyx, limb 2-lobed, 3–5 mm, each lobe with lateral tooth, tooth usually small, rarely larger and equaling lobes, appendages 2, 0.7–1.5 mm; stamens equaling petals; stigmas 3 (–4), equaling petals. Capsules slightly exceeding calyx, ovoid, opening with 6 (or 8) ascending to slightly recurved teeth; carpophore 2–3 mm. Seeds pale-brown, reniform, 2–3 mm, sides with close radiating ridges, margins broadened and winglike. 2n = 48.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Loose talus, among boulders in mountains, chaparral, open coniferous forests
Elevation: 1000-3100 m

Discussion

Silene grayi is a small montane relative of S. parryi, but it differs in having small, fleshy leaves (ca. 2–4 cm), most of which are in basal tufts. The seeds are also larger and have a thickened wing. Some plants in the mountains of Washington and Oregon appear to intergrade and need further study.

A hybrid between Silene grayi and S. campanulata has been collected in the Siskiyou Mountains of northern California, an area where both species occur.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

No values specified.

... more about "Silene grayi"
awned +  and not hooded +
flushed with dark red +
puberulent +
John K. Morton +
S. Watson +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
5mm +  and 7mm +
dentate +, emarginate to 2-fid +  and entire +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
oblanceolate +  and spatulate +
lanceolate +
reduced +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
scarious +  and herbaceous +
membranous +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
much-branched +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
linear-oblanceolate +  and linear-lanceolate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
slightly longer +
conspicuous +
Gray’s catchfly +
dissected +  and variously--shaped +
dish--shaped +
expanded +
Calif. +, Nev. +  and Oreg. +
1000-3100 m +
peripheral +
subsessile +  and sessile +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (?) +  and 1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
conspicuous +
glandular-pubescent +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
cylindric +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
campanulate +
stalked +  and simple +
Loose talus, among boulders in mountains, chaparral, open coniferous forests +
bracteate +, 1-3(-5)-flowered +  and open +
sessile +  and petiolate +
whorled +  and opposite +
connate +
reduced +
conspicuous +
2-lobed +
3mm +  and 5mm +
purplish +  and green +
1 (?) +  and 4 (?) +
winglike +  and dentate +
broadened +  and broad +
swollen +
3 +  and 5 +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
campylotropous +
deflexed;erect +
stipitate-glandular +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
pink +  and dusky purple +
fugacious +
Flowering summer. +
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts +
radiating +  and close +
pale-brown +
papillate +  and tuberculate +
reniform +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
2.8 cm28 mm <br />0.028 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
persistent +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.8 cm28 mm <br />0.028 m <br />) +
rhizomatous +  and stoloniferous +
fewer +  and 10 +
subscapose +  and little-branched +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
prostrate +, decumbent +  and sprawling +
stipitate-glandular +  and retrorse-puberulent +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
papillate +
distinct +
4 +, 5 +  and 3 +
filiform +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
Silene deflexa +
Silene grayi +
species +
ascending;slightly recurved +
divided +
larger +  and small +
10-30-veined +
purplish +, whitish +  and green +
inflated +, terete +, cylindric +  and campanulate urceolate or clavate +
membranous +
3 (?) +  and 5 (?) +
stoloniferous +, rhizomatous +  and taprooted +
pubescence of simple hairs or stalked glands +  and glabrous +