DACF Home → Bureaus & Programs → Maine Natural Areas Program → Communities, Plants, and Animals → Rare Plants → Silene acaulis
Silene acaulis (L.) Jacq.
Moss Campion
- State Rank: SX
- Global Rank: G5T5
- State Status: Potentially Extirpated
Habitat: Gravelly, rocky barrens of alpine areas [Alpine or subalpine (non-forested, upland)]
Range: Circumboreal; south to the mountains of Maine and New Hampshire; west to Montana and Washington.
Aids to Identification: S. acaulis is a perennial herb that grows in clumped colonies densely matted together (pulvinate) to a height of 0.3-0.6 cm. The flowers are soliatry at the tips of branches with purple petals that are notched or entire.
Ecological characteristics: None noted.
Phenology: Flowers June - August.
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Synonyms: Silene acaulis (L.) Jacq. var. exscapa (All.) DC.; Silene acaulis (L.) Jacq. ssp. arctica A. & D. Löve
Known Distribution in Maine: This rare plant has been documented from a total of 1 town(s) in the following county(ies): Piscataquis.
Reason(s) for rarity: Near the southern limit of range. Habitat limited in Maine.
Conservation considerations: Populations could be threatened by heavy recreational (hiking) use. This plant may be extirpated from the state.