Taxon Report

Silene greenei (S. Watson) Howell ssp. angustifolia (F.N. Williams) Rabeler & Gandhi

Red Mountain catchfly

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Silene greenei ssp. angustifolia, commonly known as Red Mountain catchfly, is a perennial herb in the Caryophyllaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, and Lower montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 425 to 2085 meters. Silene greenei ssp. angustifolia is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Silene greenei (S. Watson) Howell ssp. angustifolia (F.N. Williams) Rabeler & Gandhi
Common Name:	Red Mountain catchfly
Family:	Caryophyllaceae
Element Code:	PDCAR0U0A2
USDA Plants Symbol:	SICAC
Synonyms/Other Names:	Silene campanulata ssp. campanulata

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Jun	May-Jun
Elevation:	425-2085 (1395-6840)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Rocky, Serpentine (usually)
Microhabitat Details:	Peridotite

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G5T1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	CE
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S
CRPR Changes:	changed from 4.2 to 1B.2 on 2021-11-21

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	11
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	2
Good (B)	2
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	1
Unknown (U)	6

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Mendocino (MEN)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Leggett (3912376), Noble Butte (3912386)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	6
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	5	45 %
Mining	2	18%
Other	1	9%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	9%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	1	9%
Erosion/runoff	1	9%
Logging	1	9%

Notes



Only plants from Red Mtn. and Little Red Mtn., MEN Co., are recognized for status and included in this treatment; plants that key to ssp. angustifolia outside of this region have uncertain affinities.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Proposed change from CRPR 4.2, G5T3Q / S3 to 1B.2, G5T1 / S1 (2021)

Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 10: 341-342 (1875)

Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 15(1): 57-58 (2021)

University of Washington Publications in Biology 13:22-23 (1947)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 27 January 2025].