Silene verecunda
San francisco campion, San Francisco Campion
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · licence
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Silene verecunda (San francisco campion) is a native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by very widespread, variable, cylindric calyx.
San francisco campion is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in central and northern Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, Sutter Buttes, central western California, southwestern California, western Transverse and Intercept Ranges, and desert mountains in open areas, chaparral, sagebrush, oak woodland, pinyon and juniper woodland, and conifer forest at elevations up to 3,400 meters. Flowering during summer, this plant produces white to rose flowers with petals that have distinctive two-lobed limbs. Growing 10 to 55 centimeters tall with ascending to erect stems that are slightly rough or hairy and sometimes glandular, it develops a caudex with few to many branches. Its leaves vary from lower lance-shaped leaves 3 to 10 centimeters long to upper linear or lance-shaped leaves 1 to 4.5 centimeters long, gradually becoming smaller toward the stem's top. The fruit is an oblong to ovoid structure with a short puberulent stalk, containing dark brown to black seeds approximately 1 to 1.5 millimeters in size.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species; very widespread, variable, cylindric calyx
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open areas, chaparral, sagebrush, oak woodland, pinyon/juniper woodland, conifer forest
Elevation: < 3400 m
California counties: Fresno, San Bernardino, Kern, Mendocino, Alameda, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Sutter, Riverside, Tulare, Inyo, Alpine, El Dorado, Lake, Nevada, Orange, San Benito, Santa Barbara, Mono, Monterey, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Ventura, Calaveras, Colusa, Amador, Shasta, Lassen, Mariposa, Sierra, Glenn, Napa
Outside California: to Oregon, Utah, Arizona, Baja California
Bloom period
Silene verecunda blooms Summer.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
How to tell it apart
vs Spigelia: Silene has 5 separate petals in pink family arrangement; Spigelia has tubular red flowers with 5-lobed tips.; vs Pelargonium: Silene has radially symmetric flowers with 5 equal petals; Pelargonium has bilateral flowers with unequal petals.; vs Cistanthe: Silene has a tubular calyx fused around the flower; Cistanthe has 2 separate, rounded sepals that fall off.; vs Castilleja: Silene has showy petals; Castilleja's color comes from bracts hiding tiny tubular flowers.; vs Petrorhagia: Silene has an inflated, rounded calyx tube; Petrorhagia has a narrow, cylindrical calyx with papery bracts below.
Frequently asked questions
Is Silene verecunda native to California?
Yes. Silene verecunda is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Silene verecunda bloom?
Silene verecunda blooms Summer.
Where in California does Silene verecunda grow?
Silene verecunda occurs in Fresno, San Bernardino, Kern, Mendocino, Alameda, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Cruz and other counties, at elevations of < 3400 m.
What plant family does Silene verecunda belong to?
Silene verecunda is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Silene.
Is Silene verecunda rare or endangered?
Silene verecunda carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S1.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.