Cascade Head Catchfly

[Stevefromdodge]

Here's an advanced flower question. There's a ultra-rare flower native to Cascade Head called the Cascade Head Catchfly, aka <i>silene douglasii var oraria.

Is this it?

[cfm]

That is a lovely flower. You would have to key it out in the field to be sure. You did find it in what is recorded as its only known location. The question is are other Silenes found on Cascade Head?

According to Hitchcock and Cronquist, one of the features that distinguish it from the other varieties in this species is the oraria should have fleshy leaves, and they should be present, unreduced on the flower stem. In the other varieties of douglasii, the leaves are not fleshy and much reduced on the flower stem.

Gilkey says about the same thing.

[Stevefromdodge]

Thanks for the research Jen.

Here are the other photos I took. Unfortunately, it seems I didn't do a very good job on the leaves.




























I haven't found any photos on sites I trust. Some hobby sites are showing my flower as Cascade Head Catchfly; others are showing a flower that looks almost like a daisy.


Most silenes found in Oregon are east of the mountains or look really different. The only other possible match according to the USDA) is the Common Catchfly, but the petals on that one seem straighter and smaller (at least in online photos).