Silene regia Sims

Royal Catchfly

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Royal Catchfly is a native herbaceous perennial in the Pink family (Caryophyllaceae). It is native to the Black Belt region of Alabama and the limestone glades of Bibb County. It occurs in the edge of prairies and in open calcareous woodlands. Royal Catchfly is a perennial with a stout, fleshy taproot. Each root crown produces 1-5 upright, green stems that are 2-3 feet in length. The stems are unbranched below the inflorescence and retrorse-pubescent towards the base and glandular pubescent towards the apex. Leaves are basal and cauline. Basal leaves form a rosette, and are usually withered at flowering. Stem leaves are opposite, sessile, lanceolate to ovate in outline, with entire margins. The leaves have 3 distinct veins and are pubescent om both surfaces. Flowers are produced from the axils of the upper leaves and in terminal cymes. The individual flowers have a glandular pubescent pedicel that is 1-4 times as long as the calyx. The calyx in green, papery, glandular pubescent, and inflated around the fruit. The corolla is scarlet in color with 5 petals. The petals are un-lobed. The fruit is a capsule. Royal Catchfly is currently known to occur in two Alabama counties (Bibb and Wilcox), with historical records from three other counties (Butler, Dallas, and Montgomery). It is designated as an S2 species in Alabama (typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state). It is similar to two other Silene species found in the state that have bright red flowers. Royal Catchfly is taller and less branched than Fire Pink (Silene virginica Linnaeus) or Roundleaf Catchfly (Silene rotundifolia Nuttall). Flower petals in Royal Catchfly are also un-lobed, while they are notched in the other two species. Fire Pink is widespread in Alabama, and usually flowers earlier in the year. Roundleaf Catchfly is known from a single county in northwest Alabama, and it also usually flowers earlie

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Native S2 (State Rank) G3G4 (Global Rank)

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