Silene suksdorfii

B. L. Robinson

Bot. Gaz. 16: 44, plate 6, figs. 9–11. 1891.

Common names: Suksdorf’s catchfly
Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 209. Mentioned on page 172, 186, 202.

Plants perennial, cespitose, with decumbent subterranean shoots; taproot stout; caudex branched, woody. Stems numerous, erect, simple, 3–15 cm, pubescent, 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. Inflorescences: flowers terminal, solitary, or in single dichotomy, bracteate; bracts leaflike, 3–15 mm. Pedicels erect, ca. equaling calyx, viscid glandular-pubescent, hairs with purple septa. 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. Capsules equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8) teeth; carpophore 2.5–3.5 mm. Seeds brown, broadly winged, reniform, 1–2 mm, rugose-tessellate. 2n = 48.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Alpine ridges, gravel slopes, talus
Elevation: 1600-3000 m

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.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Silene suksdorfii"
awned +  and not hooded +
puberulent +
obtuse;acute;acute +
John K. Morton +
B. L. Robinson +
pseudopetiolate +
dentate +, emarginate to 2-fid +  and entire +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
narrowly oblanceolate +  and linear-lanceolate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
reduced +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
scarious +  and herbaceous +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
campanulate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
ovoid;globose +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
conspicuous +
broadened +
Suksdorf’s catchfly +
tinged with dusky purple +  and off-white +
dissected +  and variously--shaped +
dish--shaped +
expanded +
Calif. +, Oreg. +  and Wash. +
1600-3000 m +
peripheral +
conspicuous +
glandular-pubescent +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
stalked +  and simple +
Alpine ridges, gravel slopes, talus +
branched +  and simple +
sessile +  and petiolate +
whorled +  and opposite +
connate +
conspicuous +
2-lobed +
3mm +  and 5mm +
purplish +  and green +
1 (?) +  and 4 (?) +
membranous +
swollen +
3 +  and 5 +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
campylotropous +
glandular-pubescent +
off-white tinged with purple +, dusky purple +, scarlet +, pink +  and white +
fugacious +
Flowering summer. +
rugose-tessellate +
papillate +  and tuberculate +
reniform +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 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 />) +
subterranean +
rhizomatous +  and stoloniferous +
fewer +  and 10 +
prostrate +, decumbent +  and sprawling +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
[30 +, 4 +, 5 +  and 3 +
papillate +
distinct +
filiform +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
Anotites +, Atocion +, Coronaria +, Gastrolychnis +, Lychnis +, Melandrium +, Physolychnis +, Viscaria +  and Wahlbergella +
Silene suksdorfii +
species +
divided +
10-30-veined +
purplish +, whitish +  and green +
inflated +, terete +, cylindric +  and campanulate urceolate or clavate +
membranous +
3 (?) +  and 5 (?) +
stoloniferous +, rhizomatous +  and taprooted +
plant +  and cespitose +
pubescence of simple hairs or stalked glands +  and glabrous +