Seely's Catchfly

Silene seelyi is confined to the Wenatchee Mountains. It closely related to S. menziesii, but is distinguished by its usually dark red flowers and broadly lanceolate leaves.

Silene seelyi is in the Center for Plant Conservation's National Collection of Endangered Plants.

Plants perennial; taproot slender; caudex with much-branched crown, finely pubescent throughout with mainly glandular hairs. Stems numerous, decumbent to ascending, branched, tufted, leafy, slender, 5-30 cm. Leaves 2 per node, sessile or nearly so, blade reticulate-veined, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, thin, 0.8-2 cm × 3-8 mm, broadest proximally, base rounded, apex acute. Inflorescences cymose, open, compound, leafy, single flowers borne terminally and in axils of distal leaves; bracteoles, when present, 2. Pedicels straight, slender, 1/2-3 times longer than calyx. Flowers: calyx green, obscurely 10-veined, narrowly campanulate, in fruit 6-9 × 3-4 mm, herbaceous, pubescent, veins without conspicuous pale commissures; lobes triangular, 2-3 mm; corolla dark red, sometimes white, clawed, claw slightly longer than calyx, limb deeply 2-lobed, 2-3 mm, appendages 2, very small; stamens exserted; styles 3, exserted. Capsules ellipsoid, included in calyx, opening by 6 teeth; carpophore ca. 1.5 mm. Seeds brown, not winged, broadly reniform, flattened, ca. 0.8 mm, reticulate. 2n = 24.

Wash.

Flowering summer.

Crevices and ledges on granite and basalt cliffs; of conservation concern; 800-1800m.

Anotites seelyi (C. V. Morton & J. W. Thompson) W. A. Weber

Silene seelyi is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names Seely's catchfly and Seely's silene. It is endemic to Washington state in the United States, where it is limited to the Wenatchee Mountains of Chelan and Kittitas Counties.

This perennial herb grows from a taproot and branching caudex. The branching stems are up to 30 centimeters long. The thin leaves are mainly lance-shaped and measure up to 2 centimeters long. They are oppositely arranged on the stem. The inflorescence contains many leaves and a few flowers. The flowers have bell-shaped calyces of green sepals and lobed petals which may be dark red, white or purplish.

This plant grows on cliffs. It can be found in shady crevices on steep slopes and talus. Other species in the habitat my include alumroot (Heuchera cylindrica), Chelan penstemon (Penstemon pruinosus) and Wallace's selaginella (Selaginella wallacei).

There are few threats to this species because it occurs in nearly inaccessible habitat. The main threat is rock climbers. Cliffs used by climbers have fewer plants than pristine cliffs.