usually compact cyme; calyx tubular-campanulate, 

 about 15 mm. long at anthesis, becoming more nearly 

 clavate-campanulate in fruit, 10-nerved; corolla 

 white, the claw of the petals about 15 mm. long, not 

 auriculate above, the blade very short, ovate, about 

 2 mm. long, entire to shallowly emarginate; 

 appendages 4 (5 or 6) , ovate-lanceolate, about 

 0.5 mm. long; carpophore about 2 mm. long, glabrous; 

 styles 3; capsule 1-celled; seeds light brown, about 

 2 mm. long, corrugate-wrinkled and inflated. 

 Chromosome number 2N=24 (adapted from Hitchcock et 

 al. , 1964) . 



C. Local field characters: In Montana this species is 

 usually found in swales or draws, often on north- to 

 east-facing slopes. Similar in appearance to many 

 of the more common Silene species, it is distinct 

 from them by its sticky villous hairs, long calyx 

 tube, and bilobate petals with 4-6 appendages. 

 Vegetatively , Silene scouleri is similar to S. 

 spaldinqii ; however, it has bilobate petals with 

 only two appendages. Silene cseri also overlaps in 

 range with S. spaldinqii . however it is an annual 

 species with long petal blades and the foliage is 

 not often sticky pubescent. Silene douqlasii is 

 similar in appearance to this species but has more 

 slender stems and leaves, and is rarely sticky 

 pubescent (Dorn, 1984) . According to Hitchcock and 

 Maguire (1947), S. oreqana is quite similar to S. 

 spaldinqii with respect to the flowers; however, the 

 petal blade is deeply 4 lobed and much longer and 

 narrower in this species. 



D. Identifying characteristics of material which is in 

 interstate or international commerce or trade: No 

 interstate or international commerce or trade is 

 known . 



E. Photographs and line drawings: Figure 1, p. 7, is a 

 copy of illustrations that accompanied the 

 descriptions of this species Hitchcock et al., 

 (1964), and Hitchcock and Maguire, (1947). The 

 color slides are duplicates of those taken at the 

 sites indicated by the three-digit occurrence 

 numbers, p. 8. Additional slides of S. spaldinqii 

 and its habitat are housed at the office of the 

 Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, Montana. 



4. Significance. 



A. Natural: In the words of Hitchcock and Maguire 

 (1947), "(t)he viscidity of the plant, the long 



