Armchair botanizing for Extreme Silene

[cohan]

All interesting, I think I like the last one most, esp if it is actually a shrub!

[Lori S.]

More on Silene syreitschikowii, and others:
http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://www.flora.crimea.ua/smolevka/smolevka.html&ei=L6Z7Ta7zAcmCrQGl6rHvBQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEgQ7gEwBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3DSilene%2Bsyreitschikowii%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26prmd%3Divns]http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://www.flora.crimea.ua/smolevka/smolevka.html&ei=L6Z7Ta7zAcmCrQGl6rHvBQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEgQ7gEwBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3DSilene%2Bsyreitschikowii%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26prmd%3Divns]http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://www.flora.crimea.ua/smolevka/smolevka.html&ei=L6Z7Ta7zAcmCrQGl6rHvBQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEgQ7gEwBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3DSilene%2Bsyreitschikowii%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26prmd%3Divns

[McDonough]

More on Silene syreitschikowii, and others:
http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://www.flora.crimea.ua/smolevka/smolevka.html&ei=L6Z7Ta7zAcmCrQGl6rHvBQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEgQ7gEwBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3DSilene%2Bsyreitschikowii%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26prmd%3Divns

Lori, did you notice from the photos of Silene syreitschikowii that it grows on beaches, apparently growing entirely in sea shells!  I recognize some of those photos on the link you post, they're also found on the Plantarium Russia site.  The two photos of Silene jailensis in the Flora of Crimea site add to the evidence that it is a good species, but apparently very rare.

[McDonough]

Looking through a flickr photo album of wild plants in Mexico, came across this photo showing a very attractive Silene laciniata.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aztekium/241066260/in/photostream/

[McDonough]

From the 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://www.west-crete.com/flowers/silene_variegata.htm

On the question of hardiness of plants from Crete, it always help to get a visual impression of the area, here's a good winter view:
http://www.west-crete.com/dailypics/photos1/2011large.jpg

[cohan]

Good visual for sure! And not the impression of the mediterranean I expect! Doesn't look very cold, though, snow looks soft...lol


The Mexican album above is great too--- love to see some of the other Mexican flora, I usually see only cacti, succulents, bromeliads, maybe orchids and carnivores....

[McDonough]

The Mexican album above is great too--- love to see some of the other Mexican flora, I usually see only cacti, succulents, bromeliads, maybe orchids and carnivores....

Cohan, I must have spent a full hour and a half getting sidetracked looking at that Mexican flickr photostream.  I'm amazed at just how good these personal photo posting sites are, I find so much great stuff there, so it was indeed fun looking through the gallery for unusual rarely-pictured Mexican native plants; some great cacti and succulents too.  I bookmark these for further armchair botanizing.

[McDonough]

Silene elisabethae, Italy
A European Silene species that is universally misidentified in cultivation, almost everything under this name is completely wrong.  Not sure why, it is a most distinctive and lovely Silene, with wide cartwheels of paddle shaped petals in deep purplish pink.  Look at these photos, then judge your seedex-grown seed before donating them misidentified.
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Europe/Alps-Giudicarian-Alps/10581248_UGhad#1113302017_PH7mP
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Europe/Alps-Giudicarian-Alps/10581248_UGhad#1113306770_VS7Zz

Silene acaulis, probably the most photographed alpine plant of all time.  It is the species by which all other alpine Silene are measured, so it needs to be seen here as a "baseline".  In Marijn van der Brink's photo galleries he has some that show variable forms and colors sitting side by side; thought you'd like to see them.  Search Marijn's galleries for more incredible specimens of this classic alpine.
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Europe/Alps-Dachstein/10575081_2KvZK#1112186162_2Qd8m-A-LB
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Europe/2Alps-Ratikom/11094070_k8rQd#776916504_SFLyq-XL-LB

Silene parryi, Northern Cascades, Washington, USA
A respectable short Western American Silene with full-petalled white flowers.
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/North-America/America-Washington2/13612949_CpEPD#1031749819_ZTDQz
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/North-America/Northwestern-Sates/12864818_hmzeJ#1029322152_biwPe

Silene campanulata ssp. glandulosa, Oregon, USA
nodding fat yellowish bells are tinged red, glandular, an intriguing character that I want to grow!
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/North-America/America-Oregon/13613092_BnJhx#1022790535_i9eJr
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/North-America/America-Oregon/13613092_BnJhx#1022790845_mVq7H

Silene californica
red red red, who doesn't love a low sprawling red Silene
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/North-America/America-California/13613161_fwZ2J#1018099058_NA5KB
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/North-America/America-California/13613161_fwZ2J#1018097110_dwY8V
...more dissected flower form:
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/North-America/America-California/13613161_fwZ2J#1018101406_d9Wek
...more entire flower form:
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/North-America/America-California/13613161_fwZ2J#1018097519_crxPo

Silene bupleuroides, Iran, Zagros
full round white flower with red center, a beauty in this Iran form, apparently variable
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Asia/nieuw-Iran-Central-Western/11590743_NSmuG#817260871_7AVRs
...another Iranian form, exceptionally long slender striped calyxes, pinwheel white flowers backed with pink
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Asia/nieuw-Iran-Central-Western/11590743_NSmuG#817030727_od8fY
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Asia/nieuw-Iran-Central-Western/11590743_NSmuG#817031225_9rdqx
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Asia/nieuw-Iran-Central-Western/11590743_NSmuG#817031588_66UGM

Silene moorcroftiana, Pakistan
sugar pink wheels above mats of grassy dianthus-like foliage, charming
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Asia/Pakistan-Karakorum/10569418_yLmqW#734232319_4YEea
http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Asia/Pakistan-Karakorum/10569418_yLmqW#734232358_bUquV

That's about it for a while.  Feel free to add any other Silene that you think is a great rock garden plant.

[cohan]

The Mexican album above is great too--- love to see some of the other Mexican flora, I usually see only cacti, succulents, bromeliads, maybe orchids and carnivores....

Cohan, I must have spent a full hour and a half getting sidetracked looking at that Mexican flickr photostream.  I'm amazed at just how good these personal photo posting sites are, I find so much great stuff there, so it was indeed fun looking through the gallery for unusual rarely-pictured Mexican native plants; some great cacti and succulents too.  I bookmark these for further armchair botanizing.

As I kept going, I realised I've looked at some of this guy's photos before, I just haven't made it all the way through!

[McDonough]

As I kept going, I realised I've looked at some of this guy's photos before, I just haven't made it all the way through!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aztekium/241066260/in/photostream/

This fellow has posted something like 1400 images, so it takes a while to get through them