Silene napuligera

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical range primarily concentrated within certain regions of East Asia. Its distribution is notably documented across the South-Central part of China. Furthermore, the species can be found growing within the high-altitude landscapes of Tibet. These locations highlight the plant's preference for the unique environmental conditions found in these specific territories. Consequently, its natural habitat is restricted to these particular areas of the Chinese landscape.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Silene napuliigera is characterized by its specific distribution within high-altitude montane and alpine environments. This species thrives across a significant vertical gradient, occupying diverse ecological niches within a broad elevational range. It is typically found at altitudes starting from a minimum of 1500 m AMSL, with a mean elevation of approximately 2550 m AMSL, indicating a preference for mid-to-high mountain ecosystems. The plant's upper limit for growth reaches a maximum of 3600 m AMSL, suggesting an ability to tolerate the more extreme environmental conditions, such as lower temperatures and higher solar radiation, characteristic of high-elevation zones.

Elevational range max:

3600 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

2550 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

1500 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Silene napuliigera is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist in its environment over multiple growing seasons. As a perennial, the plant avoids the complete mortality associated with annuals after a single reproductive cycle, instead establishing a stable presence that supports repeated flowering and seed production over time. This long-term survival strategy enables the species to occupy its ecological niche more effectively, as it can invest energy into vegetative growth and structural permanence before allocating resources toward sexual reproduction.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Silene napuliigera is characterized by its growth form as a herb, functioning primarily as a non-woody organism. In terms of its structural habit, the plant is self-supporting, meaning it does not rely on climbing or trailing mechanisms to maintain its upright posture within its environment.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

herb

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Silene napuliigera is characterized by specific morphological dimensions of its foliage that reflect its vegetative development and surface area optimization. The leaves exhibit a measurable range of longitudinal growth, with a minimum length of 1.5 cm, a mean length of 2.25 cm, and a maximum potential length reaching up to 3 cm. Complementing this vertical dimension is a narrow lateral profile, where leaf width varies from a minimum of 0.3 cm to a maximum of 0.4 cm. These precise measurements in leaf length and width contribute to the plant's overall photosynthetic capacity and its ability to manage transpiration and gas exchange within its specific ecological niche.

Leaf length max:

3 cm

Leaf length mean:

2.25 cm

Leaf length min:

1.5 cm

Leaf width max:

0.4 cm

Leaf width min:

0.3 cm

Reproduction

The reproduction of Silene napuligera is characterized by the development of distinct fruit structures that serve as the primary vessel for seed dispersal. The fruit morphology is highly consistent, exhibiting a uniform dimension across observed specimens. Specifically, the fruit length maintains a precise measurement of 1 cm, with the minimum, mean, and maximum recorded values all converging at this single point. This lack of variance in fruit length suggests a highly stabilized reproductive trait within the species, ensuring that the resulting capsules provide a standardized environment for the maturation and eventual release of its seeds.

Fruit length max:

1 cm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Silene napuligera has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include root.

Root

1. Journal of natural products