Siberian Catchfly

Silene sibirica is a very distinct species with masses of small flowers on stiffly erect stems, and narrow, fascicled leaves. It was abundant and persisted for a number of years in the 1950s near Duck Lake and Bladworth in central Saskatchewan.

Plants perennial, producing several decumbent, short, woody, underground shoots bearing perennating buds and terminated by erect flowering shoots; taproot stout, woody; caudex crown branched. Stems simple but with short axillary leafy shoots, leafy, 40-60 cm, glossy, ± glabrous, with 10-20 nodes proximal to inflorescence. Leaves: basal withered at time of flowering; cauline whorled, appearing fasciculate (more than 4) at each node, connate at base, reduced distally, tapered at both ends, blade linear to very narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 0.5-8 cm × 1-12 mm, base broadened, margins scabrous, apex acute, subglabrous to minutely puberulent on both surfaces. Inflorescences thyrsate, verticillate, open, with many short, ascending branches bearing large numbers of small, unisexual flowers, bracteate; bracts connate basally, triangular, 2-10 mm, margins finely ciliate, apex acuminate. Pedicels ascending, straight, fasciculate, wiry, ± equaling calyx, glabrous or sparsely and minutely puberulent. Flowers mostly unisexual; calyx pale green, indistinctly 10-veined, elliptic, constricted near base, umbilicate, ca. 5 × 2 mm, lobes with thickened midrib, ovate-obtuse, 0.2 mm, margins crenate, membranous; corolla greenish white, clawed, claw and limb not differentiated, narrowly oblong, unlobed, less than 2 times length of calyx, appendages absent; stamens exserted, longer than corolla; styles 3, exserted, longer than corolla. Capsules green, ovoid-conic, longer than calyx, opening by 6 teeth; carpophore shorter than 1 mm. Seeds brown, winged, reniform, ca. 1 mm, faces with shallow radiating ridges.

introduced; Sask.; Europe (Ukraine); Asia (Mongolia).

Flowering summer.

Arable land, pastures, roadsides, sand dunes; 300-500m.

Cucubalus sibiricus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1031. 1759