Silene antirrhina L.
sleepy catchfly (sleepy silene)
Caryophyllaceae (Pink family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Jamie Fenneman     (Photo ID #3934)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Silene antirrhina
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Annual herb from a taproot; stems erect, slender, simple to branched, more or less downsweptly short-hairy below, becoming glabrous above, usually purplish sticky-glandular in bands below the nodes or occasionally nonglandular, 20-80 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves oblanceolate to spoon-shaped, 3-6 cm long and 2-20 mm wide; stem leaves opposite, several pairs, oblanceolate to linear, glabrous to rough-hairy or short-hairy; stipules lacking.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of few to many flowers in a compact to open cluster; petals 5, white to pink, usually withered by day, stalklike at the bases, the narrow stalks about 2-3 times as long as the heart-shaped blades; sepals 5, united, forming a tube 4-10 mm long, 10-nerved, glabrous.
Fruits:
Capsules egg-shaped, 3-chambered; seeds blackish, 0.6-1.0 mm long, with 3-4 concentric rows of low pimples.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Silene antirrhina

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
704 335 1128
Slope Gradient (%)
40 0 85

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

182 70 335
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
1 0 3
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
37
Modal BEC Zone Class
ICH

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

BG(7), ICH(8), IDF(5), PP(2)

Habitat and Range

Mesic to dry roadsides, fields and open forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones, frequent in S BC; E to PQ and NB and S to TX, AZ, NM and MX.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Silene antirrhina var. confinis Fernald
Silene antirrhina var. depauperata Rydb.
Silene antirrhina var. divaricata B.L. Rob.
Silene antirrhina var. laevigata Engelm. & A. Gray
Silene antirrhina var. subglaber Engelm. & A. Gray
Silene antirrhina var. vaccarifolia Rydb.