Silene Silene, Gay Silene Silene, Ehrh. Silene Silene subsp. racemosa, (Otth) Graebner

142. S. almolae Gay View in CoL in Cosson, op. cit. 31 (1849).

Like 141 but stems always simple, less viscid, sometimes subglabrous in part; calyx (12—) 15—18 mm, toothed for of its length with triangular, acute teeth; veins more distinctly anastomosing; petals very pale pink; claw included; seeds up to c. 1 -4 mm, with 2 rows of tubercles on back. • C. & S. Spain. Hs.

Sect. Dichotomae (Rohrb.) Chowdhuri . Annual; stems erect, pubescent. Inflorescence branched, composed of raceme-like monochasial cymes. Calyx contracted at mouth in fruit, with prominent simple veins. Seeds reniform with plane or slightly concave, tuberculate faces, and bluntly tuberculate back.

143. S. dichotoma Ehrh. View in CoL , Beitr. Naturk. 7: 143 (1792).

Stems 20-100 cm, branched above, puberulent to hispid-pubescent. Lower leaves spathulate to lanceolate; cauline lanceolate. Inflorescence usually with alar flowers; branches 5- to 10-flowered; pedicels all very short; upper bracts small, ovate, scariousmargined. Calyx 7-15 mm, ovoid-oblong in fruit, not inflated, sparsely and shortly pubescent between veins, sparsely hispid on veins; teeth ovate-lanceolate, acute. Petal-limb 7-8 mm, white, rarely pink; filaments and styles very long-exserted. Carpophore 1 - 5-4 mm, very stout, glabrous. Seeds 1 - 1 -1-4 mm, blackishbrown. 2« = 24. Native in E. & S.E. Europe; widely introduced elsewhere. Bu Cr Gr Hu Ju Po Rm Rs (N, C, W, K, E) Tu [Ga Ge He It].

(a) Subsp. dichotoma :

Basal leaves not in dense rosettes, green, pubescent. Flowers crowded, or sometimes separated by their own length; inflorescence 1—2(—3) times dichotomously branched; upper bracts not cibate. Petal-limb bifid for c. | of its length. Throughout the range of the species, except Greece and the Aegean region.

(b) Subsp. racemosa (Otth) Graebner View in CoL in Ascherson & Graebner, Syn. Mitteleur. FI. 5 (2): 93 (1920):

Basal leaves in dense rosettes, more or less densely grey-pubescent. Flowers less densely crowded; inflorescence often more branched; upper bracts cibate. Petal-limb bifid almost to base. S.E. Europe.

144. S. remotiflora Vis. View in CoL , FZ. Dalm. 3: 166 (1852).

Like 143 (a) but lower leaves ovate-lanceolate; cauline linear-lanceolate; inflorescence 1-3 times dichotomously branched, without alar flowers; flowers very remote, 1-3 on each branch; pedicels up to half as long as calyx; upper bracts larger, mostly equalling flowers; calyx scabrid between veins, serrate with ascending sharp teeth on veins. • W. part of Balkan peninsula. Al Gr Ju.

Sect. Scorpioideae (Rohrb.) Chowdhuri . Annual. Calyx not contracted at mouth in fruit; veins usually anastomosing. Seeds of various types, but never winged.