Taxon Report

Silene oregana Wats.

Oregon campion

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Taxon Summary

Silene oregana, commonly known as Oregon campion, is a perennial herb in the Caryophyllaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, and Subalpine coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1500 to 2500 meters. Silene oregana is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Silene oregana Wats.
Common Name:	Oregon campion
Family:	Caryophyllaceae
Element Code:	PDCAR0U170
USDA Plants Symbol:	SIOR3
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jul-Sep	Jul-Sep
Elevation:	1500-2500 (4920-8205)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Subalpine coniferous forest
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G4
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12 changed from 2.3 to 2.2 on 2013-01-22

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	32
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
Good (B)	14
Fair (C)	2
Poor (D)	1
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	14

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Alpine (ALP), Lassen (LAS), Modoc (MOD), Mono (MNO), Shasta (SHA), Tuolumne (TUO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Ambrose Valley (4112027), Davis Creek (4112063), Eagle Peak (4112032), Emerson Peak (4112022), Fredonyer Peak (4012065), Hermit Butte (4112037), Likely (4112025), Manzanita Lake (4012155), Mount Dana (3711982), Pickel Meadow (3811935), Shinn Mtn. (4012062), Sonora Pass (3811936), Soup Creek (4112033), Warren Peak (4112042)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	5
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	16	50 %
Foot traffic/trampling	9	28%
Logging	6	18%
Road/trail construction/maint.	6	18%
Grazing	5	15%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	3%

Notes



Potentially threatened by logging, vehicles, and road/trail maintenance. Possibly threatened by grazing and recreational activities. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 10:343 (1875) for original description, and University of Washington Publications in Biology 13:29 (1947) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

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].