Silene undulata

PLANTAE / PHANEROGAMAE / ANTHOPHYTA / CARYOPHYLLALES / CARYOPHYLLACEAE / CARYOPHYLOIDEAE / SILENEAE / SILENE / UNDULATA / UNDULATA

Silene undulata Aiton subsp. undulata

NE Indigenous

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Morphological description

Stems erect or sprawling. Cymes relatively few-flowered, mostly without quarternary branching, rounded. Calyx (15-)20-35(-45) mm long. Capsules ovoid to narrowly ovoid, (12-)15-25 mm long, 1.5-4.0 x longer than carpophore. Carpophore 4-10(-15) mm long. From: Manning, JC; Goldblatt, P. 2012. A taxonomic revision of the southern African native and naturalized species of Silene L. (Caryophyllaceae). Bothalia 42(2): 147-186. [CC BY]

Annual herb, stem ascending, leafy, villous. Leaves coriaceous, spathulate, obtuse or subretuse, margins revolute, ciliate. Flowers in cymes; calyx 16-20 mm long, villous, 10-ribbed, with lanceolate teeth; petals bifid; carpophore a quarter length of capsule. From: Bredenkamp, CL. 2019. Caryophyllaceae. In: CL Bredenkamp (ed.), A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Strelitzia 41(1): 757-767. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY] As: Silene eckloniana Sond.

Erect, shortly glandular-hairy, perennial herb, up to 0.9 m high. Leaves rosulate, oblanceolate. Flowers in cymes, white or pink to crimson; calyx 18-22 mm long; petals bifid; carpophore ± 2 mm long. Flowering time Oct.-Mar. From: Bredenkamp, CL. 2019. Caryophyllaceae. In: CL Bredenkamp (ed.), A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Strelitzia 41(1): 757-767. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY] As: Silene bellidioides Sond.

Perennial herb, up to 0.9 m high. Stems sticky hairy; flowering stems from centre. Leaves opposite; in a basal rosette; blade narrowly ovate, 80-110 x 10-20. Flowers: calyx ± 35 mm long; petals notched, white to pale pink. From: Retief, E; Meyer, NL. 2017. Caryophyllaceae. In: E Retief & NL Meyer (eds), Plants of the Free State: Inventory and identification guide. Strelitzia 38: 450-457. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY] As: Silene bellidioides Sond.

Diagnostic description

A variable taxon, typically with a lax, rounded inflorescence of relatively large flowers with calyx mostly 20-35 mm long, often with subulate lobes. The nature of the stem and calyx vesiture is very variable, with some plants entirely eglandular and others predominantly glandular, sometimes even within a single collection. Variation in the nature and degree of vesiture is especially evident among the populations along the southern Cape coast. Populations between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay often, but not always, have entirely eglandular stems and calyces.Most populations have the anthers exserted beyond the mouth of the floral tube at anthesis, followed by the styles, which at anthesis are always included in the floral tube. This feature is thus evident only in older flowers. Also diagnostic of many populations are the long, subulate calyx lobes, 5-7 mm long but this can vary within populations. Plants with short calyces, ± 15 mm long, and carpophores ± 4 mm long, are typical of the West Coast, whereas specimens from western Lesotho have among the longest calyces (35-45 mm long) and carpophores (± 15 mm long) recorded for the species.Plants are very variable in habit, those from coastal and alpine habitats typically more compact and prostrate whereas individuals from sheltered or shaded situations are more lax. Some of this variation is certainly ecological and linked to the habitat but some may well be genetic, since plants from the cliffs at Hermanus evidently retain their compact habit in cultivation.Separation from subsp. polyantha is not always clear in the Kwazulu-Natal Midlands, especially around Pietermaritzburg, where plants have erect stems and well-branched, flat-topped inflorescences but calyces ± 20 mm long. From: Manning, JC; Goldblatt, P. 2012. A taxonomic revision of the southern African native and naturalized species of Silene L. (Caryophyllaceae). Bothalia 42(2): 147-186. [CC BY]

Habitat

Grassland, riverbeds and mountain slopes. Upper Karoo, Dry Highveld Grassland, Drakensberg Grassland, Sub-Escarpment Grassland, Indigenous Forests, Eastern Fynbos-Renosterveld. From: Bredenkamp, CL. 2019. Caryophyllaceae. In: CL Bredenkamp (ed.), A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Strelitzia 41(1): 757-767. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY] As: Silene bellidioides Sond.

Seashore. Eastern Fynbos-Renosterveld. From: Bredenkamp, CL. 2019. Caryophyllaceae. In: CL Bredenkamp (ed.), A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Strelitzia 41(1): 757-767. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY] As: Silene eckloniana Sond.

Dry Grassland; Mesic Grassland; Zastron Moist Grassland. Open grassland. From: Retief, E; Meyer, NL. 2017. Caryophyllaceae. In: E Retief & NL Meyer (eds), Plants of the Free State: Inventory and identification guide. Strelitzia 38: 450-457. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY] As: Silene bellidioides Sond.

Distribution

Throughout most of the range of the species but replaced along the eastern seaboard by subsp. polyantha. From: Manning, JC; Goldblatt, P. 2012. A taxonomic revision of the southern African native and naturalized species of Silene L. (Caryophyllaceae). Bothalia 42(2): 147-186. [CC BY]

Occurrence records map

This map contains point-based occurrences at different locations

iNaturalist: BODATSA: Data partners records:

Residence status

Occurrence in the Flora of Southern Africa (FSA) countries and South African provinces. Residence status indicates if a taxon is indigenous, endemic, naturalised or invasive in a specific region. This data is based on specimen records and literature

FSA

BOT

NAM

ESW

LES

KZN

Absent

Indigenous

Endemic

Naturalised

Invasive

Names and Sources

Accepted name

Silene undulata Aiton subsp. undulata

Synonym(s)

Silene capensis Otth

Published in: Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 1: 379 (1824)

Type: South Africa, ‘ad cap. B.-Spei.’, without date or collector, Prodr. 1 p. 379 no. 144 (G-DC, holo.)

Silene bellidifolia Thunb. var. foliosa Fenzl, nom.nud.

Published in: Zwei Pflanzengeogr. Docum. (Drège) : 222 (1844)

Silene bellidifolia Thunb. var. stricta Fenzl, nom.nud.

Published in: Zwei Pflanzengeogr. Docum. (Drège) : 222 (1844)

Silene capensis var. flaccida E.Mey., nom.nud.

Published in: Zwei Pflanzengeogr. Docum. (Drège) : 222 (1844)

Silene diurniflora Kunze

Published in: Linnaea 17(5): 578 (1844)

Type: South Africa, ‘Prom. b. sp.’, cultivated at University of Leipzig 1842–1843, Guenzius s.n. (LZ, holo.†)

Silene meyeri Fenzl, nom.nud.

Published in: Zwei Pflanzengeogr. Docum. (Drège) : 222 (1844)

Silene thunbergii E.Mey., nom.nud.

Published in: Zwei Pflanzengeogr. Docum. (Drège) : 87, 222 (1844)

Silene bellidioides Sond.

Published in: Fl. Cap. (Harvey) 1: 125 (1860)

Type: South Africa, fields near the Zwartkops River, Nov. without year, Ecklon & Zeyher 1964 S-G-5677 (S, lecto.; SAM, isolecto.). Lectotype designated by Nordenstam, Taxon 29: 279 (1980).

Silene eckloniana Sond.

Published in: Fl. Cap. (Harvey) 1: 126 (1860)

Type: South Africa, Eastern Cape, sea shore near Cape Recife, Feb. 1830/2, Ecklon s.n. S-G-8711 (S, holo.)

Silene afra Fenzl ex C.Muell., as 'caffra'

Published in: Ann. Bot. Syst. 7: 276 (1868)

Type: South Africa, Eastern Cape, Caffraria, Drège 5342 (W, holo.†)

Silene caffra Fenzl ex C.Muell., orth. var. not permitted by ICN (Art. 61.6, Madrid Code onwards)

Published in: Ann. Bot. Syst. 7: 276 (1868)

Type: South Africa, Eastern Cape, Caffraria, Drège 5342 (W, holo.†)

Melandrium afrum (Fenzl ex C.Muell.) Rohrb., as 'caffrum'