Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

Starry Campion is a nice erect native perennial growing in the open woods, up to 20 inches in height, and usually unbranched except in the inflorescence. The stem may have fine hair.

The leaves are narrow lanceolate (broadest in the lower half), entire and on the central part of the stem appear in whorls of 4, except that on the upper stem under the inflorescence there will be only an opposite pair and sometimes on the very lower part of the stem they will also be opposite. Most surfaces may be free of hair but there is usually very fine hair on the leaf margin. There is usually a swelling of the stem at the base of the leaf whorl and often a purplish color there.

The inflorescence is an open cluster with numerous branches (a panicle). There will usually be a pair of opposite small leafy bracts at each branch of panicle. Stalks of the panicle and of individual flowers are usually smooth but sometimes with fine hair.

The Flowers have a green calyx that is obscurely 10-veined, with 5 teeth on the upper rim, sparsely hairy, bell-shaped, becoming more ovoid and triangular after fertilization. The individual flowers are 3/4 inch wide when open with a white corolla 2x longer than the calyx with 5 petals that have frilly or deeply fringed lobes. Flowers are perfect - stamens number 10 as in most Silenes; they have white filaments with yellowish anthers and are the length of the petals. There are 3 white styles from a 3-chambered ovary. The styles are branched and protrude beyond the petals. The flowers open early in the day, are open during the day, but may close in the afternoon. Flower stalks are also subtended by one or two pairs of small bracts.

Seed: Fertile flowers mature to a ovoid seed capsule that has 3 broad 2-cleft teeth at the top, giving the appearance of 6 teeth. When the numerous seeds are mature, these teeth reflex and the seeds are shaken out by the wind. Seeds are dark brown, kidney shaped with a rough surface.

Habitat: Starry Campion grows from a taproot and being perennial, older plants can send up multiple stems. Otherwise, it propagates from seed. It grows in partial sun in woods and clearings having moderate to dry moisture conditions.

Names: The genus, Silene, is from the Greek word seilenos and believed to be derived from Silenus who was the foster father of the Greek god Bacchus. Silenus was described as covered with foam, a reference to the white foam frequently found on stems of this genus. The species, stellata, is a Latin word applied to plants with flowers that have a star-like appearance. The author names for the plant classification are: First to classify in 1853 was '(L.)' which refers to Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), Swedish botanist and the developer of the binomial nomenclature of modern taxonomy. He assigned the name Cucubalus stellatus. His work was amended in 1811 to the current name assigned by ‘W.T.Aiton’ which refers to William Townsend Aiton (1766-1849), Scottish botanist, son of William Aiton, he succeeded his father as director of Kew Gardens, was a founder of the Royal Horticultural Society, and published a second edition of his father’s catalogue Hortus Kewensis.

Comparisons: This Silene is distinct with the frilly petal lobes and the leaves in a whorl. Close relatives with white flowers that may be mistaken for this species are: Night-flowering Catchfly, S. noctiflora, which also has 3 styles, but flowers open at night; White Campion, S. latifolia, which has white petals but opposite leaves and Evening Campion, S. nivea, which has no ribs on the calyx and opposite leaves.