Silene ovata

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

Vulnerable  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Genus: Silene
Species:
S. ovata
Binomial name
Silene ovata

Flowering

Jones lists the blooming season as from June to September.[5]

Habitat for ovate-leaved catchfly on the Sylamore District of the Ozark National Forest. Plants are in the middle of the photo, but occur on the adjoining bluffs and lower talus.
Roadside habitat and ovate-leaved catchfly plant at the same location as other photos

Range

While 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

A 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

2n = 48.[8]

Conservation status

Silene 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
  1. Silene ovata NatureServe
  2. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Silene ovata". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  3. 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
  4. Steele, W. C., ed. 1967. Wildflowers of the United States: Southeastern States, McGraw-Hill, New York, New York, USA, p.448
  5. 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.
  6. "Alabama Natural Heritage Program website". Alabama Natural Heritage Program Website. 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
  7. "Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission website". Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission website. 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-18.
  8. 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.
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