Silene uniflora
| Silene uniflora | |
|---|---|
| |
| Sea campion on the north coast of Iceland | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Caryophyllaceae |
| Genus: | Silene |
| Species: | S. uniflora
|
| Binomial name | |
| Silene uniflora | |
| Subspecies[1] | |
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Silene uniflora is a species of flowering plant in the carnation family known by the common name sea campion.
Description
[edit]Silene uniflora is a perennial plant that forms a mat with stems growing outwards to between 10 and 40 cm. A plant will grow a large main root that can be a thick storage root like that of a carrot or turnip.[2] The stems can grow along the ground or grow upwards towards their ends.[3]
The leaves are hairless and glaucous, grey-green due to a covering of natural waxes.[4] They have a fleshy texture and a variety of shapes including lanceolate, oblanceolate, elliptic or spatulate.[2] The flowers white with five deeply notched petals, the five sepals fused and inflated to form a bladder.[4] Each flower has three pistils and three stamens that are almost enclosed by the flower.[5]
It is similar in appearance to the bladder campion (Silene vulgaris) but with flowers generally solitary.[6]
Taxonomy
[edit]In 1762 Carl Linnaeus named Silene amoena, a species that does not have the same description as Silene uniflora, but is regarded as a synonym of Silene uniflora subsp. uniflora.[7] The scientific description and naming of the species as a whole was by Albrecht Wilhelm Roth in 1794. It is classified in the genus Silene which is in the family Caryophyllaceae.[1]
Subspecies
[edit]The sea campion has three subspecies listed as accepted by Plants of the World Online (POWO):[1]
- S. uniflora subsp. petraea (C. Hartm.) Jonsell & H. C. Prent.
Endemic to Sweden[8] - S. uniflora subsp. thorei (Dufour) Jalas
Native to Southwest France (extinct in Spain)[9] - S. uniflora subsp. uniflora
Atlantic Europe, the Azores, Madeira[7]
However, other sources such as the World Flora Online (WFO) and World Plants (WP) list additional subspecies as accepted.[10][11]
- Silene uniflora subsp. cratericola (Franco) Franco (WP)
- Silene uniflora subsp. glareosa (Jord.) Chater & S.M.Walters (WFO)
- Silene uniflora subsp. prostrata (Gaudin) Chater & S.M.Walters (WFO)
There are 54 synonyms of sea campion or one of its three subspecies.[1][8][9][7]
| Name | Year | Rank | Synonym of: | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behen alpinus (Lam.) Guşul. | 1953 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Behen maritimus (With.) Link | 1829 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Behen uniflorus Link | 1829 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Behenantha uniflora (Roth) Ikonn. | 1975 | species | S. uniflora | ≡ hom. |
| Cucubalus alpinus Lam. | 1786 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Cucubalus behen var. maritimus (With.) Wahlenb. | 1812 | variety | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Cucubalus fabarius Thore | 1803 | species | subsp. thorei | = het., nom. illeg. |
| Cucubalus littoralis Pers. | 1805 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Cucubalus maritimus (With.) Lam. | 1786 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Oberna alpina (Lam.) Ikonn. | 1976 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Oberna behen subsp. maritima (With.) Soják | 1984 | subspecies | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Oberna behen subsp. thorei (Dufour) Soják | 1984 | subspecies | subsp. thorei | ≡ hom. |
| Oberna thorei (Dufour) Holub | 1977 | species | subsp. thorei | ≡ hom. |
| Oberna uniflora (Roth) Ikonn. | 1976 | species | S. uniflora | ≡ hom. |
| Oberna uniflora subsp. islandica (Á.Löve & D.Löve) Holub | 1977 | subspecies | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene alpina (Lam.) E.Thomas ex Gren. & Godr. | 1847 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het., nom. illeg. |
| Silene amoena L. | 1762 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het., nom. illeg. |
| Silene bastardii Boreau ex J.Lloyd | 1878 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene crassifolia Thore | 1810 | species | subsp. thorei | ≡ hom., nom. illeg. |
| Silene cucubalus proles maritima (With.) Rouy & Foucaud | 1896 | proles | subsp. uniflora | = het., nom. illeg. |
| Silene cucubalus subsp. alpina (Lam.) Dostál | 1948 | subspecies | subsp. uniflora | = het., nom. illeg. |
| Silene cucubalus subsp. thorei (Dufour) Rouy & Foucaud | 1896 | subspecies | subsp. thorei | ≡ hom. |
| Silene cucubalus var. bastardii (Boreau ex J.Lloyd) Rouy | 1883 | variety | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene cucubalus var. petraea (Fr.) Rouy & Foucaud | 1896 | variety | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene cucubalus var. tenella Rouy & Foucaud | 1896 | variety | subsp. thorei | = het. |
| Silene inflata subsp. alpina (Lam.) Killias | 1887 | subspecies | subsp. uniflora | = het., nom. illeg. |
| Silene inflata subsp. maritima (With.) Bonnier & Layens | 1894 | subspecies | subsp. uniflora | = het., nom. illeg. |
| Silene inflata subsp. thorei (Dufour) Bonnier & Layens | 1894 | subspecies | subsp. thorei | ≡ hom. |
| Silene inflata var. maritima (With.) Hartm. | 1820 | variety | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene inflata var. petraea Fr. | 1842 | variety | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene inflata var. uniflora (Roth) Lej. & Courtois | 1831 | variety | S. uniflora | ≡ hom. |
| Silene maritima (With.) Sm. | 1800 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene maritima subsp. alpina (Lam.) Nyman | 1878 | subspecies | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene maritima subsp. islandica Á.Löve & D.Löve | 1956 | subspecies | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene maritima var. nigrescens Merino | 1905 | variety | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene maritima var. petraea C.Hartm. | 1879 | variety | subsp. petraea | ≡ hom. |
| Silene maritima var. stenophylla Merino | 1905 | variety | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene mauritanica Pott ex Rohrb. | 1869 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het., not validly publ. |
| Silene montana Arrond. | 1863 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene stenophylla Planellas | 1852 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het., nom. illeg. |
| Silene stenophylla var. micra Planellas | 1852 | variety | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene thorei Dufour | 1825 | species | subsp. thorei | ≡ hom. |
| Silene uniflora subsp. cratericola (Franco) Franco | 1986 | subspecies | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene uniflora var. montana (Arrond.) Kerguélen | 1986 | variety | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene venosa proles maritima (With.) Samp. | 1911 | proles | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene venosa subsp. alpina (Lam.) Simonk. | 1877 | subspecies | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene venosa var. maritima (With.) Menezes | 1914 | variety | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene vulgaris subsp. alpina (Lam.) Nyman | 1878 | subspecies | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene vulgaris subsp. cratericola Franco | 1971 | subspecies | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene vulgaris subsp. maritima (With.) Á.Löve & D.Löve | 1961 | subspecies | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Silene vulgaris subsp. thorei (Dufour) Chater & Walters | 1964 | subspecies | subsp. thorei | ≡ hom. |
| Silene willdenowii Sweet ex O.Schwarz | 1949 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Viscago maritima With. | 1796 | species | subsp. uniflora | = het. |
| Wahlbergella uniflora (Roth) Fr. | 1843 | species | S. uniflora | ≡ hom. |
| Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym ; = heterotypic synonym | ||||
Names
[edit]Silene uniflora is known by the common name sea campion.[6] The first use of this name dates to 1597.[12]
Range and habitat
[edit]Silene uniflora Silene uniflora is a maritime species growing in many European countries, but almost entirely along the coasts bordering the Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea.[2] In northern Europe it is native to the coasts of Scandinavia including Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Russia as far east as the Kola Peninsula.[13][2] It is also listed as native to Poland by POWO. It is not found or native to the Baltic States or Russia on the Baltic Sea.[1] In western Europe it is native to the west coast of France, the northern coast of Spain, and a limited area in northern Portugal.[13] It grows all around the shores of Ireland and the United Kingdom and is also some mountainous areas near fresh water,[6] though only rarely.[4] Further out in the Atlantic Ocean it is native to the Azores, the Canary Islands, Madeira, and Iceland.[1]
It has been introduced to Germany, Argentina, and New Zealand.[11]
It is one of the long-lived perennial plant species that establish on coastal shingle that has been stable for between five and twenty years.[14] It also grows in the dunes and at the strandline on beaches.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g POWO 2025a.
- ^ a b c d Talavera 1991, p. 397.
- ^ Stace 1991, p. 217.
- ^ a b c Stace 2010, p. 472.
- ^ Anderberg 2005a.
- ^ a b c Blamey, Fitter & Fitter 2003, p. 44.
- ^ a b c POWO 2025d.
- ^ a b POWO 2025b.
- ^ a b POWO 2025c.
- ^ WFO 2025.
- ^ a b Hassler 2025.
- ^ OED 2025.
- ^ a b Anderberg 2005b.
- ^ Packham & Willis 1997, p. 226.
- ^ Packham & Willis 1997, p. 163.
Sources
[edit]- Books
- Blamey, Marjorie; Fitter, Richard; Fitter, Alastair (2003). The Wild Flowers of Britain & Ireland. London: A. & C. Black. ISBN 978-0-7136-5943-6. OCLC 52512869. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- Packham, John R.; Willis, A. J. (1997). Ecology of Dunes, Salt Marsh, and Shingle (First ed.). London ; New York: Chapman & Hall. ISBN 978-0-412-57980-6. OCLC 37764809.
- Stace, C.A. (1991). New Flora of the British Isles (First ed.). Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-42793-7. OCLC 25309430. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- Stace, C.A. (2010). New Flora of the British Isles (Third ed.). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521707725. OCLC 647075102.
- Web sources
- Anderberg, Arne (10 November 2005) [1997]. "Silene uniflora Roth — Strandglim" ['Silene uniflora Roth — Beach slips]. Den virtuella floran [The Virtual Flora] (in Swedish). Naturhistoriska riksmuseet. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- Anderberg, Arne (10 November 2005) [1997]. "Silene uniflora Roth — Strandglim: Norra halvklotet" ['Silene uniflora Roth — Beach slips: Northern Hemisphere]. Den virtuella floran [The Virtual Flora] (in Swedish). Naturhistoriska riksmuseet. Archived from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
- Hassler, Michael (15 June 2025). "Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. Version 25.06". World Plants. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- "Sea Campion, N.". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/OED/4490321945. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- POWO (2025). "Silene uniflora Roth". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- POWO (2025). "Silene uniflora subsp. petraea (C.Hartm.) Jonsell & H.C.Prent". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- POWO (2025). "Silene uniflora subsp. thorei (Dufour) Jalas". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- POWO (2025). "Silene uniflora subsp. uniflora". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- Talavera, Salvador (1991). Laínz, M.; Muñoz Garmendia, F. (eds.). "Silene" (PDF). Flora Iberica (in Spanish). Real Jardín Botánico. pp. 313–406. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 April 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- WFO (2025). "Silene uniflora Roth". World Flora Online. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
