Silene drummondii
 
Drummond's Cockle

Whole Plant Upright

Hudson Bay Regional Park
19-July-2020

The above image contains two photos of the same plant.  In the photo on the left, the plant is intact and undisturbed.  In the photo on the right, the stem has been cut in two and the upper portion placed in the ground to the left of the lower portion.  In addition, in the right photo the cauline leaves have been spread apart to make them more visible.  Note the flowers are erect on stiffly ascending pedicels.

Note that Budd's Flora recognized two related genera - Silene and Lychnis - and it called this species Lychnis drummondii.  Today Lychnis is subsumed in a larger Silene. Therefore the answers separating Silene from Lychnis have been removed from the answers leading to the genus and added to the answers leading to the species.

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Drummondii: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora leading to this species.
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flowers usually 3 or more; NOT [flowers usually solitary, rarely 2 or 3]

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flowers erect on stiffly ascending pedicels; NOT [flowers nodding]

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flowers perfect; NOT [flowers of different sexes on separate plants]

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calyx not inflated, tightly enclosing the capsule; NOT [calyx somewhat inflated]

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calyx not or little enlarging; NOT [calyx enlarging in fruit]

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petals included or barely exserted; NOT [petals conspicuously exserted]

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styles 5; NOT [styles usually 3]

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capsule 1-celled to base; NOT [capsule usually divided into partitions at base]

 

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Silene: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus. 
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plants NOT with woody base

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calyx without bracts; NOT [calyx with 1-3 pairs of bracts below]

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sepals united part way, forming a tube; NOT [sepals entirely separate]

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lobes of sepals NOT over 20 mm long; NOT [sepals with long, leaf-like lobes, over 20 mm long]

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petals usually present; NOT [petals absent]

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petals clawed; NOT [petals lacking claws]

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styles 3-5; NOT [styles2]

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styles alternate with the petals; NOT [styles opposite the petals]

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ovary stipitate

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fruit dehiscent; NOT [fruit indehiscent]

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fruit several-seeded; NOT [fruit 1-seeded]

 

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Caryophyllaceae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  leading to this family. 
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herbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]

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plants terrestrial or semiaquatic; NOT [plants aquatic, leaves submerged or floating]

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terrestrial plants; NOT [mud plants with small axillary flowers]

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plants NOT with colored milky juice

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plants with more than one normal leaf

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leaves opposite, whorled, or basal; NOT [some or all leaves alternate]

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leaves NOT glandular-dotted

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plants without large petal-like bracts; NOT [plants with an involucre of 4 petal-like bracts]

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flowers with two floral rings, and with each petal distinct from the others

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sepals more than 2; NOT [sepals 2]

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stamens NOT united at base; NOT [stamens united at base into 3-5 bundles]

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styles 2 or more; NOT [styles single]