populations) (Siddal et al. , 

 1979) . 



4. Washington. 



a. Present designated or proposed 

 legal protection or regulation: 



None. 



b. Other current formal status 

 recommendations: Silene 

 spaldinqii is currently listed 

 as "endangered" in Washington 

 (state rank = S2) by the 

 Washington Natural Heritage 

 Program. 



c. Review of past status: None 

 known. 



3. Description. 



A. General nontechnical description: Silene spaldinqii 

 is a tall, herbaceous perennial. From one to 

 several stems arise from a woody caudex. These 

 stems reach 8-24 inches in height, and bear 4-7 

 pairs of cauline leaves. The leaves are broadly 

 lance-shaped, 2-3 inches in length and up to 0.5 

 inch in width. The foliage is lightly to densely 

 covered with sticky hairs. Several to many flowers 

 form the inflorescence. Flowers are arranged in a 

 spiral, and positioned at right angles along the 

 tips of stems. The outer floral leaves, which are 

 fused for most of their length, form a flaring tube 

 about 0.5 inch long. Ten distinctive veins run 

 along the length of this tube. The claws of the 

 petals are also about 0.5 inch long, with the actual 

 petal blades only 0.08 inch long. Both the claw and 

 blade are white with a greenish tinge. Four, and 

 sometimes up to 6 very short petal-like appendages 

 are attached inside and just below each blade. 

 These are also greenish-white in color. This 

 species blooms in Montana in July and early August. 

 Later, small light brown, wrinkled seeds ripen 

 within a capsule. 



B. Technical description: Villous-tomentose and more 

 or less viscid-pubescent perennial from a simple or 

 branched caudex, 2-6 dm. tall; cauline leaves 4-7 

 pairs, oblanceolate below to lanceolate above, 6- 



7 cm. long, 0.5-1.5 cm. broad, sessile and slightly 

 connate; flowers several to many in a leafy and 



