Armchair botanizing for Extreme Silene

[McDonough]

One of my favorite sites for armchair botanizing is CalPhotos:
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/
Type in a genus name and go exploring.  So I did this with Silene, and there are some amazing species out there, why aren't these being grown?!?  Here are some of my favorite EXTREME Silene species.

Silene serpentinicola (Serpentine Catchfly)
This is a California endemic, found in Del Norte Co.  Amazing dwarf red-flowered species.
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/communities/serpentines/center/images/se/images/silene_serpentinicola3_jensen.jpg
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/img_query?rel-taxon=contains&where-taxon=Silene+serpentinicola

Silene salmonacea (Klamath Mountain catchfly)
This is a California endemic, found in Trinity Co, looks akin to S. hookeri, but look at those luscious orange colors in the 2nd and 3rd link below.
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/communities/serpentines/center/images/rareplants/images/silene_salmonacea_susan_erwin.jpg
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=9477
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/img_query?rel-taxon=contains&where-taxon=Silene+salmonacea

And while you're along for the ride, take a drive down Silene hookeri street.
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?where-genre=Plant&where-taxon=Silene+hookeri

Silene campanulata var. glandulosa, Calusa Co, California
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&enlarge=0000+0000+0509+1516

Silene parishii (Los Angeles Co, California)
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&enlarge=0000+0000+0806+0089
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&enlarge=0000+0000+0903+0312

Silene suksdorfii (Pierce Co, Washington)
This one I fell in love with when seeing it on Burroughs Mountain, a spur off Mr. Rainier in Washington, with brightly veined pouchy flowers.  Tried growing it from the NARGS seed exchange a couple times, grew tiny plants for a few years each time but eventutally lost them.  Worth trying again.
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&enlarge=0000+0000+1008+1759

And lastly, I didn't include the photo links to S. californica, but judging from the CalPhotos images, there are some good dwarf forms of this otherwise tallish flame red species.  You can go look.

[Lori S.]

there are some amazing species out there, why aren't these being grown?!?  

Well, if anyone is looking for volunteers, they can just send me the plants!    I'd love to give them a try!

I'm especially taken by Silene suksdorfii - beautiful.
I did try some sort of a dwarf form of Silene californica... unfortunately at a time when I knew even less about growing alpines than I do now.  (Poor thing - RIP.)

[McDonough]

I was "googling" today and just happened to be referred to a page on the old SRGC Forum (Scottish Rock Garden Club) looking for plants other than Silene, but I came across the following photos of Silene hookeri and S. hookeri ssp. bolanderi cultivated expertly by SRGC member John Forrest... take a look at these beauties:

Silene hookeri ssp ingramii
http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/283/12091.jpg

Silene hookeri ssp ingramii - another form
http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/283/12092.jpg

Silene hookeri ssp hookeri - salmon form
http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/283/12093.jpg

Silene hookeri ssp bolanderi
http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/283/12094.jpg
http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/283/12095.jpg

Silene hookeri ssp bolanderi, seed grown with a buff colored flower
http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/283/12096.jpg

[Hoy]

I prefere a sofa where I can relax my feet too!

I know I probably can't grow such plants outside but I would like to see them in situ!

[McDonough]

Close-up of Silene variegata, a dwarf succulent-leaved species from Crete, from the Flickr photo galleries of Nick Turland.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nturland/1363389276/

Updated: an even better set of photos from "Visit West Crete" site.
This species takes the prize for one of the most desirable small rock garden Silene ever!
http://www.west-crete.com/flowers/silene_variegata.htm

[cohan]

Lots of cool species! the Cretan species is pretty amazing  but so is the serpenticola, with both a great red and somewhat inflated calyces --one of my favourite features in this genus-- (I actually really like the flowers of our local weed sp, its just a bit too successful as a weed!)..
salmonacea has a great colour range too, can't see if it has inflated calyces or not..

[Lori S.]

On the subject of "extreme" silene, here are a couple others that I like:
1) Silene davidii (the former or syn. S. kantzeensis, and still sold under that name)

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=3&taxon_id=242000737

2) Silene falcata - this one is native to Turkey.  I like the red buds, particularly.

[cohan]

These are both excellent! The first is just really cute, the second I like since I perversely like those species which remind me of our weeds, but which are small! I like the foliage on both too, but esp those little wispy tufts

[McDonough]

Lori, I second Cohan's message, both Silene species are AWESOME!  I just spent about an hour looking through the Flora of China link on S. davidii, what an excellent species... did you see the really dark pink one?  Such a neat growing species, and from the super long list of species in China, I suspect there are many other worthwhile species, some will hopefully make their way into cultivation.

Love everything I see with S. falcata, from the neat "wispy" asperula-like foliage, to the elongated red buds and the pristine white blooms.

[Lori S.]

Yes, the dark pink one (the 6th S. davidii photo at the Flora of China site; photo by R. Lee) is stunning!
The foliage on the plant in the first photo is significantly different from the rest of the photos; different subspecies or...?

Yeah, the foliage on Silene falcata is great too!   It does seem to represent the extreme, as compared to the fairly broad-leaved North American species.

[McDonough]

Yes, the dark pink one (the 6th S. davidii photo at the Flora of China site; photo by R. Lee) is stunning!
The foliage on the plant in the first photo is significantly different from the rest of the photos; different subspecies or...?

The Flora of China folks have been adding photos to the flora, often taken by different people.  I have noticed a number of mistaken IDs in those photos, particularly in genera I have a better understanding of (Allium for example).  I see what you're saying, the foliage in the first photo link looks much more linear... probably a subspecies or a different species altogether.

[McDonough]

Today my armchair travels too me to the vast expanses of Plantarium Russia (a site for the vascular plants of Russia and neighboring countries).  Nearly 400 Silene species are listed with maybe half of them being synonyms, that's still a lot of Silene.  There are photos for only some species listed, so rather than wade through hundreds of photos, and finding lots of ugly weedy Silene species (many are of that persuasion), I list selected links to species that caught my attention and rock-gardening sensibilities.

The homepage for this site is: http://www.plantarium.ru/
Unless you speak or read Russian, it is imperative to have the Google Translate plugin installed into your internet browser, otherwise you won't know what buttons to click on.  There are extensive collections of plant photos on this site, very worthwhile browsing through.  In fair use, I include one screen shot of Silene lacera (Oberna lacera) from Dagestan, photo links below. 



Oberna lacera, Dagestan (Syn. Silene lacera, Behenantha lacera)
Looks like a silene to me, but a special treasure, sparse crinkly basal leaves, prostrate red stems, plump chestnut red calyxes and ultra-fringy white flowers, stunning rock garden gem.
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/31379.html
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/5522.html
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/31378.html

Silene repens, Altai steppe, 1700m, (syn. S. amoena)
Photo of a plant past flowering, not stupendous but low growing.
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/76038.html
...a plant in fine flower:
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/48523.html
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/48042.html

Silene chlorantha, The Republic of Tatarstan
a tall, slender, elegant weed (call me crazy, but I like these types of weird plants)
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/61466.html
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/11013.html

Silene dubia, Carpathian Mountains (Syn. S. nutans ssp. dubia)
Distinctive, compact foliage, tallish slender stems and nodding slender cream flowers.
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/23895.html

Silene graminifolia, Tien Shan Mts
grassy basal foliage and refined light pink and white flowers
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/3376.html

Silene humilis, Dagestan
Distinctive!  Prostrate, wooly gray leaves, narrow upright red flowers
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/31360.html
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/31362.html

Silene jailensis, Crimea
Rock garden gem, mats of thrifty foliage, nearly stemless round white flowers with red calyxes, photos show it is quite variable
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/78729.html
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/78728.html
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/25846.html
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/25843.html

Silene guntensis, Southern Kazakhstan, (Syn. S. apiculata, incanescens, kuhistanica)
low but loose tangle, narrow white flowers, just okay
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/72466.html

Silene kuschakewiczii, Southern Kazakhstan, 2800 m (Syn. S. apiculata, hispidula, kuhistanica)
low mats, pale pink, narrow dark calyx, another just okay species.
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/75681.html

Gastrolychnis tristis, Republic of Tuva, 1800 m (Syn: Silene bungei, Lychnis tristis, Melandrium triste)
Oh my, fantastic nodding inflated calyxes of white veined dark purple, red-violet petals, neat upright plant.  Reminiscent of S. nigrescens.
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/16347.html
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/76370.html

Silene caucasica, Dagestan
nice low grower with trim white blooms and red calyxes
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/49760.html
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/49759.html

Silene chamarensis, Altai, 2900 m
another medium-low white-flowered one
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/75268.html
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/75269.html

Silene paucifolia, Urals,  (Syn. S. chamarensis ssp. paucifolia, S. tenuis ssp. paucifolia)
choice dwarf plant, neat linear foliage, plump white calyxes and frilly white flowers.
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/73195.html
...in bud
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/72710.html


Another installment forthcoming...

[Lori S.]

Some incredible gems there!  I'll be keeping a lookout for seeds!

As we eagerly await the next installment of extreme delights, here's another Silene, not so exotic-looking as many of those, but pretty - Silene saxifraga:
 

Some of our native ones can be pretty showy too, with attractive veining on the calyx, such as Silene parryi:
   
Hmmm, wait a minute... this next one seems to be something other than S. parryi... maybe S. furcata?

[cohan]

Wow, Mark-- I like almost every one of those!

Lori, S parryi seems very nice and looks like it should be growable based on the habitat..

[McDonough]

Lori, two more worthy entries into the "Silene worth growing" class!

From your post on Prunus prostrata with a link on a Visit West Crete" tourist site, I checked out their plant photos, many of which are excellent.  I found an even better photo of Silene variegata from Crete, so I updated the earlier post:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=80.msg6769#msg6769
...or go to:
http://www.west-crete.com/flowers/silene_variegata.htm