Silene vulgaris, (Moench) Garcke

56. S. vulgaris (Moench) Garcke View in CoL , FI. Nord Mittel-Deutschl. ed. 9, 64 (1869)

(5. inflata Sm., S. latifolia (Miller) Britten & Rendle , non Poiret, S. cucubalus Wibel ).

Perennial, sometimes caespitose and woody at base; stems up to 60 cm, usually branched, glabrous or pubescent, often glaucous. Leaves ovate to linear. Flowers solitary or in cymes. Calyx inflated, persistent, loosely investing ripe capsule, 20-veined. Petals large, usually whitish, deeply bifid, with distinct claw and often with coronal scales. Capsule 6-14 mm, usually c. 3 times as long as carpophore. Seeds 1-1-5 mm, with convex back and flat or convex face. Throughout Europe. All except Sb. Extremely variable. The taxa here included in S. vulgaris have been variously treated by different authors. The treatment given below takes into account the large body of experimental and other data summarized in Marsden-Jones & Turrill, Bladder Campions (1957). 1 Tall, usually ± erect plants with stout stems and severalflowered inflorescences; bracts usually scarious; capsule with narrow neck (c. 2-3 mm wide) and erect or patent teeth 2 With long stolons; capsule usually c. 12 mm; petals usually pink or greenish (d) subsp. macrocarpa 2 Without stolons; capsule usually less than 12mm; petals usually white 3Lower cauline leaves very large, broadly oblong-ovate to ovate-elliptical, often obtuse and apiculate

(c) subsp. commutata 3Lower cauline leaves ovate-lanceolate to linear 4 Lower cauline leaves ovate-lanceolate (a) subsp. vulgaris 4 Lower cauline leaves linear-lanceolate to linear

(b) subsp. angustifolia 1 Smaller, usually more procumbent plants with slender stems and few- or 1-flowered inflorescences; bracts usually herbaceous; capsule with wide neck (c. 3-4 mm wide) and patent or deflexed teeth 5 Carpophore usually less than | as long as capsule (usually mountain plants) 6Leaves lanceolate; coronal scales usually well-developed

(e) subsp. giareosa 6 Leaves ovate-lanceolate to ovate, acute; coronal scales absent (f) subsp. prostrata 5 Carpophore usually more than | as long as capsule (usually maritime plants) 7 Leaves broadly elliptical to subspathulate, thick and fleshy,

crowded and usually imbricate; stems much-branched,

embedded in sand below (S.W. France) (h) subsp. thorei 7 Leaves variable, linear-lanceolate to subspathulate, usually less fleshy and more widely-spaced; stems often rather diffuse, sometimes subcaespitose (g) subsp. maritima