Compilation
Silene meruensis

VARIATION. It has not been found possible satisfactorily to subdivide all the large amount of material, here included in one species, into clear cut subspecies or varieties. The type of the species is South African and plants with similar morphology (somewhat suffruticose bases, more or less prostrate or ascending stems, and oblanceolate to spathulate-elliptic leaves) are found in coastal districts of the Cape Province. There is, however, no sharp line of separation between such plants (var. burchellii) and others that have been named var. angustifolia Sond. and var. latifolia Sond.   In East Africa, plants with very narrow leaves, on the whole, seem to be most frequent in the drier areas, especially of Kenya, but are by no means sharply limited in ecological distribution or geographical range. In addition to variation in leaf width, there is very considerable variation in calyx shape and length and in the length and shape of the calyx lobes. It has not, so far, been possible to obtain any very valid correlations between the variables studied in this complex species (if we so accept it). Most of the specimens seen are in flower and a wide collection of fruits and seeds might throw more light on the nature of the variability though cultural experiments are probably essential before further taxonomic research is worth while.   A few somewhat extreme variants have been collected. Examples are: Uganda, Karamoja District, Mt. Moroto, 2850 m., Dale U. 455!, with calyces 2.6 to 3 cm. long; Kenya, Northern Frontier Province, Mt. Endoto, 2400 m., Jex-Blake in CM. 6911, with calyces 3.5 cm. long; Kenya, Northern Frontier Province, Marsabit, c. 1300 m., Gillett 15154!, with relatively short but broad leaves and linking the var. gillettii Turrill (from Ethiopia) to var. burchellii.    With some hesitation a specimen from south-western Tanganyika has been made the type of a new variety under the name Silene burchellii var. macropetala Turrill in K.B. 1954, 57. This plant is characterized by its tall stems (up to 12 dm.), rather large leaves (3–6.5 cm. long, 0.5–2.1 cm. broad), and petals 1.5 cm. long with the blades 8–9 mm, long and the lobes of the blades 3–4 mm. long. The type, and only known, specimen came from Songea District (T8), Matengo highlands, above Ugano (presumably Ngano), Zerny 518 (W, holo.!).