Silene nuda
Encyclopedia
Silene nuda is a species of flowering plant in the pink family
known by the common name western fringed catchfly. It is native to the Sierra Nevada and Modoc Plateau
of California
, its distribution extending into Oregon
and Nevada
. It grows in forest, woodland, and scrub habitat, sometimes in saline soils. It is a perennial herb growing from a thick, woody caudex
and taproot
, sending up one or more erect stems up to half a meter tall. The largest leaves are located in tufts around the caudex, each measuring up to 15 centimeters long by 3 wide. Smaller leaves occur farther up the stem. Each flower is encapsulated in a hairy, veined calyx of fused sepal
s. The five long petals are pink and each has two lobes at the tip.
Caryophyllaceae
The Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactaceae and Polygonaceae...
known by the common name western fringed catchfly. It is native to the Sierra Nevada and Modoc Plateau
Modoc Plateau
The Modoc Plateau lies in the northeast corner of California as well as parts of Oregon and Nevada. It is a mile-high expanse of lava flows with cinder cones, juniper flats, pine forests, and seasonal lakes. The plateau is thought to have been formed approximately 25 million years ago...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, its distribution extending into Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. It grows in forest, woodland, and scrub habitat, sometimes in saline soils. It is a perennial herb growing from a thick, woody caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
and taproot
Taproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
, sending up one or more erect stems up to half a meter tall. The largest leaves are located in tufts around the caudex, each measuring up to 15 centimeters long by 3 wide. Smaller leaves occur farther up the stem. Each flower is encapsulated in a hairy, veined calyx of fused sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s. The five long petals are pink and each has two lobes at the tip.