Compilation
Silene gallica

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Name

Identification
Silene gallica L. [family CARYOPHYLLACEAE ] (stored under name);
Related name
  • Silene neglecta
  • Silene parviflora
  • `
  • Silene sp.
  • Silene anglica
  • Silene not on sheet
  • Silene quinquevulnera
  • Silene gallica
  • Silene brachypetala
  • Silene linophila
  • Silene hispanica

Flora

Entry for Silene gallica L. [family CARYOPHYLLACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, (1956) Author: W. B. TURRILL
Names
Silene gallica L. [family CARYOPHYLLACEAE], Sp. Pl. 417 (1753); Mert. & Koch, in Röhl., Deutschl. Fl. 3, 230 (1831); Koch, Syn. Fl. Germ. et Helv. 100 (1835). Type: France (LINN, holo.!)
Information
An annual herb with simple or branched stems, 1.4–4.0 dm. tall, with spreading hairs, some very short others up to 2 mm. in length. Leaves oblanceolate or spathulate-oblanceolate, generally rounded and mucronulate at the apex, narrowed to the base, up to 7.7 cm. long and 2.2 cm. broad. Inflorescence with the appearance of a one-sided raceme terminating the stem or its branches, elongating with age, 2–9-flowered. Calyx 8–10 mm. long, enlarging (and especially broadening) in fruit. Petals entire, 9–11 mm. long and with the expanded portion 1.5–3.5 mm. broad, white or pinkish. Capsules on stalks 2–10 mm. long, erect to more or less reflexed. Seeds small, grey to black, minutely tubercled to flat-plated (“armadillo”).
Range
DISTR. U2; K3, 5; T3 Central and S. Europe, N. Africa, Turkey to Iran, now introduced as a weed into many parts of the world
Altitude range
1500–2700 m.
Distribution
KENYA Nakuru District Njoro, 27 Sept. 1915, Dowson 280!TANGANYIKA Lushoto District Mkusu, 10 Aug. 1936, Greenway 4610!UGANDA Kigezi District Kachwekano Farm, Feb. 1951, Purseglove 3576!
Notes
This species has no doubt been introduced by man into East Africa. Of the three varieties usually accepted for the British flora, var. quinquevulnera (L.) Koch has not so far been seen from East Africa. Plants that may be referred to var. gallica (as Bogdan 3183, from Nakuru District, near Molo, 24 July 1951!) and others that may be considered var. anglica (L.) Koch (as Greenway 4610) have been received. The varieties, however, are by no means clear-cut and both plants with intermediate development of supposedly diagnostic characters and with various combinations of such characters (branching, inflorescence density, petal size and colouration, length and orientation of fruiting pedicels, etc.) occur both in East Africa and other areas of introduction and in the supposed natural range. The aggregate species would well repay cyto-genetical investigation.

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