''Silene scouleri'' is a species of flowering plant in the family

Caryophyllaceae Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family (biology), family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranth ...

known by the common names simple campion and Scouler's catchfly. It is native to western North America from

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

. There are at least three subspecies which all vary in size, shape, habitat preference, and distribution. Some individuals are difficult to assign to a subspecies.

Description

'Silene scouleri'' is a perennial herb producing one or more erect stems from a woody, branching

caudex A caudex (: caudices) of a plant is a stem, but the term is also used to mean a rootstock and particularly a basal stem structure from which new growth arises.pages 456 and 695 In the strict sense of the term, meaning a stem, "caudex" is most ...

. The stem is usually unbranched, or simple, giving the plant its common name. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

may have few or many flowers in a dense or open cluster. Each flower has a tubular or bell-shaped calyx of fused

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s which has stark purple or green veins. The petals are white, sometimes with a greenish or pinkish tinge, or solid pink. They may have two to four lobes which are wide or narrow, rounded or pointed.

Subspecies

*''Silene scouleri'' ssp. ''hallii'' — Hall's catchfly; in several areas of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

, especially in

. It has white, greenish, pinkish, or purple-tipped petals with two lobes, often with teeth along the sides. *''Silene scouleri'' ssp. ''pringlei'' — Pringle's catchfly; in the

Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacen ...

and Northwestern Mexico, where it grows in mountains and canyons. It is slender and hairy. The petals are white, or green- or purple-tinged, and are deeply divided into fringelike lobes. *''Silene scouleri'' ssp. ''scouleri'' — Scouler's catchfly; along the

Pacific coast Pacific coast may be used to reference any coastline that borders the Pacific Ocean. Geography Americas North America Countries on the western side of North America have a Pacific coast as their western or south-western border. One of th ...

from British Columbia to central California, and some areas inland. It grows in coastal prairie, bluffs, and other habitat. Its petals are white or pinkish, with two or four lobes and sometimes lateral teeth.CalFlora: ''Silene scouleri'' ssp. ''scouleri''
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References

External links

USDA Plants Profile for ''Silene scouleri'' (simple campion)CalFlora Database: ''Silene scouleri'' (simple campion)Washington Burke MuseumUC Photos gallery: ''Silene scouleri''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7514496 scouleri Flora of the Northwestern United States Flora of California Flora of Northwestern Mexico Flora of the Southwestern United States Flora of the Rocky Mountains Flora without expected TNC conservation status