Silene thurberi

S. Watson

Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 10: 343. 1875.

Common names: Thurber’s catchfly
Synonyms: Silene plicata S. Watson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 209. Mentioned on page 172, 200.

Plants perennial; taproot stout; caudex branched, woody. Stems several, erect, freely branched, leafy, elongate, 30–80 cm, scabrid-puberulent and glandular-viscid. Leaves 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. Inflorescences open, elongate, dichotomously branched, branches ascending, bracteate; bracts leaflike, reduced distally. Pedicels ascending, may partially deflexed, rather slender, longer than calyx, viscid glandular-pubescent with septate hairs, septa colorless. Flowers: 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. Capsules slightly exserted from calyx, narrowly ovoid, opening by 6 teeth; carpophore 1–2 mm. Seeds almost black, ellipsoid-reniform, ca. 1 mm, coarsely papillate; papillae inflated. 2n = 48.


Phenology: Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat: Open rocky places and canyons
Elevation: 1500-2000 m

Discussion

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.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"broadened" is not a number.

... more about "Silene thurberi"
awned +  and not hooded +
glandular-puberulent +
acute;acute +
John K. Morton +
S. Watson +
narrowed +
dentate +, emarginate to 2-fid +  and entire +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
glandular-pubescent +
lanceolate +  and oblanceolate +
rarely +  and not succulent +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
reduced +
scarious +  and herbaceous +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
glandular-pubescent +
campanulate;tubular +
swelling +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
conspicuous +
Thurber’s catchfly +
greenish white +
dissected +  and variously--shaped +
dish--shaped +
expanded +
Ariz. +, N.Mex. +  and Mexico +
1500-2000 m +
peripheral +
subsessile +  and sessile +
conspicuous +
glandular-pubescent +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
stalked +  and simple +
Open rocky places and canyons +
branched +  and open +
sessile +  and petiolate +
whorled +  and opposite +
connate +
conspicuous +
2-lobed +
glandular-viscid +
purplish +  and green +
1 (?) +  and 4 (?) +
lanceolate +
swollen +
3 +  and 5 +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
campylotropous +
deflexed;ascending +
glandular-pubescent +
off-white tinged with purple +, dusky purple +, scarlet +, pink +  and white +
fugacious +
Flowering late summer–fall. +
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts +
papillate +
ellipsoid-reniform +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 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 +
leafy +  and branched +
glandular-viscid +
prostrate +, decumbent +  and sprawling +
scabrid-puberulent +
elongate +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (80 cm800 mm <br />0.8 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 />) +
Silene plicata +
Silene thurberi +
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 +
pubescence of simple hairs or stalked glands +  and glabrous +