Silene littorea
| Silene littorea | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Caryophyllaceae |
| Genus: | Silene |
| Species: | S. littorea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Silene littorea Brot.
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Silene littorea is a species of flowering plant within the family Caryophyllaceae.[1] The species has the gynodioecy–gynomonoecy sexual system. It is one of the most studied species with this sexual system.[2]
Description
Silene littorea is a low growing annual plant reaching heights of around 15 cm tall.[1][3] The plant is covered in sticky hairs known as trichomes.[3]
Flowers
Silene littorea flowers are about 2 cm in diameter and possess five petals.[3] The species exhibits flower colour polymorphism: with light pink, dark pink and white flowered colour morphs being present within Silene littorea populations.[4] The flowers of Silene lottorea can either be female or hermaphordite.[5] An individual plant can possess any three sexual phenotypes, with plants possessing either female only flowers, hermaphorodite only flowers or even a mix of both.[5]
Distribution
The species is native to Morocco, Portugal, Spain.[6] The population of this species has been observed to be declining in Spain.[7] The species is rare in Gibraltr and restricted to eastern sandy slopes.[3]
Habitat
Silene littorea grows in sandy soils on coastal locations.[3] It can often be found inhabiting coastal sand dunes.[8]
Subspecies
The following subspecies are recognised:[6]
- Silene littorea adscendens
- Silene littorea littorea
References
- ^ a b Valle, José Carlos Del; Buide, Mª Luisa; Whittall, Justen B.; Valladares, Fernando; Narbona, Eduardo (2020-06-18). "UV radiation increases phenolic compound protection but decreases reproduction in Silene littorea". PLOS ONE. 15 (6) e0231611. Bibcode:2020PLoSO..1531611D. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0231611. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 7302690. PMID 32555603.
- ^ Casimiro-Soriguer, Inés; Buide, Maria L.; Narbona, Eduardo (2015-01-01). "Diversity of sexual systems within different lineages of the genus Silene". AoB Plants. 7 plv037. doi:10.1093/aobpla/plv037. ISSN 2041-2851. PMC 4433491. PMID 25862920.
- ^ a b c d e Perez, Charlie (2016-04-15). "Silene littorea Brot". Flora of Gibraltar Gibraltar Botanic Gardens Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society. Archived from the original on 2025-09-27. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
- ^ Casimiro-Soriguer, Ines & Narbona, Eduardo & Buide, Mª Luisa & Del Valle, Jose & Whittall, Justen. (2016). Transcriptome and Biochemical Analysis of a Flower Color Polymorphism in Silene littorea (Caryophyllaceae). Frontiers in Plant Science. 7. 10.3389/fpls.2016.00204.
- ^ a b Guitián, Pablo & Medrano, Monica. (2000). Sex expression and fruit set in Silene littorea (Caryophyllaceae): Variation among populations. Nordic Journal of Botany. 20. 467 - 473. 10.1111/j.1756-1051.2000.tb01589.x.
- ^ a b "Silene littorea Brot. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ^ Frankham, Richard; Ballou, Jonathan D.; Briscoe, David Anthony (2010). Introduction to Conservation Genetics. Cambridge University Press. p. 409. ISBN 978-0-521-87847-0.
- ^ Del Valle, Jose & Buide, Mª Luisa & Whittall, Justen & Narbona, Eduardo. (2018). Phenotypic plasticity in light-induced flavonoids varies among tissues in Silene littorea (Caryophyllaceae). Environmental and Experimental Botany. 153. 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2018.05.014.