Silene ovata, the Blue Ridge catchfly[2] or ovate-leaved catchfly, is a herbaceous plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is a perennial plant growing up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) tall, that has numerous white flowers, each finely fringed with a tube. It has large opposite leaves without petioles, which are 5–12 cm (2.0–4.7 in) long and taper to a long point, and 2–5 cm (0.79–1.97 in) wide.[3][4]
| Silene ovata | |
|---|---|
| |
| Silene ovata in flower | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Caryophyllaceae |
| Genus: | Silene |
| Species: | S. ovata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Silene ovata | |
Flowering
editJones lists the blooming season as from June to September.[5]
Range
editWhile unknown in Florida, it occurs in most of the southeastern United States from Georgia, eight widely scattered Alabama counties,[6] to Mississippi and Arkansas (where it occurs only in eight counties in the Ozark region[7]), north into southern Illinois and Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia.[2] The plants have a limited distribution range wide as indicated by their global G3 status.
Habitat
editA flora of Kentucky lists the species as occurring in "dry to mesic forests"[5] while the flora of North Carolina lists the habitat as "rich woods."[3]
Chromosome count
edit2n = 48.[8]
Conservation status
editSilene ovata is listed as G3 on the NatureServe conservation status, meaning it is vulnerable and globally rare. Typically G3 species have 21 to 100 occurrences globally, or have 3,000 to 10,000 individuals globally.
References
edit- ^ Silene ovata NatureServe
- ^ a b NRCS. "Silene ovata". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 15 November 2015.
- ^ a b Radford, A. E., H. E. Ahles, and C. R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas, The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA, p.448
- ^ Steele, W. C., ed. 1967. Wildflowers of the United States: Southeastern States, McGraw-Hill, New York, New York, USA, p.448
- ^ a b c Jones, R. L. 2005. Plant Life of Kentucky: An Illustrated Guide to the Vascular Flora. The University of Kentucky Press, Lexington, Kentucky, USA, p. 320.
- ^ a b "Alabama Natural Heritage Program website". Alabama Natural Heritage Program Website. 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
- ^ a b "Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission website". Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission website. 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-18.
- ^ Smith, E. B. 1988. An Atlas and Annotated List of the Vascular Flora of Arkansas. University of Arkansas Department of Botany, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA, p. 32.