Determined according to the botanical keys provided by Chater and Walters in Tutin et al. (1964) and Micevski (1993).
Note: Some of the female specimens from Osogovo show longer pedicles as compared to literature data – up to 10 mm. The length of the hairs in the lower part of the stem, an important taxonomic trait, is generally up to c. 1 mm. The longest hairs scarcely exceed 1 mm (c. 1.2 mm).
Lifeform: Perennial; hemicryptophyte according to the Raunkiær system.
Distribution: Native from Bulgaria to Southwest European Russia and North Caucasus, Iran according to the distribution information provided by the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew). According to The Euro+Med PlantBase (source: Marhold, 2011+) it is also native to the rest of the Balkan peninsula, Romania and Turkey.
Habitat: Clearings of oak forests, sparse woods, shrubland and ruderal areas in the lower parts of the Osogovo region, up to c. 600 m altitude.
Flowering period: Summer: JUN, JUL.
Silene densiflora – habit (male plant). Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – habit (male plant). Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – habit (male plant). Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – habit (female plant). Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – habit (female plant). Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – male inflorescence. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – male inflorescence. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – terminal part of male inflorescence. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – terminal part of male inflorescence. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – staminate flowers. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – staminate flowers. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – staminate flowers. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – male – staminate flowers. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – staminate flowers. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – male – staminate flowers. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – female inflorescence. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – female inflorescence. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – terminal part of female inflorescence. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – terminal part of female inflorescence. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – female – pistillate flowers. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – pistillate flowers. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – pistillate flowers. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – pistillate flowers. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – upper part of stem and branches of inflorescence. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – upper part of stem and branches of inflorescence. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – upper part of stem and upper cauline leaves. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – upper cauline leaves. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – lower part of stem with cauline leaves and non-flowering axillary shoots. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – lower part of stem with cauline leaves and non-flowering axillary shoots. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – lower part of stem with cauline leaves and non-flowering axillary shoots. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – lower part of stem with cauline leaves and non-flowering axillary shoots. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – lower part of stem with cauline leaves and non-flowering axillary shoots. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – adaxial side of leaf. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – adaxial side of leaf. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – abaxial side of leaf. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – abaxial side of leaf. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – axillary non-flowering shoot. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – lower part of stem. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – lower part of stem. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – lower part of stem. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – lower part of stem with hairs. Scale in mm. The hairs are up to c. 1 mm long, the longest slightly exceeding 1 mm. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – lower part of stem with hairs. Scale in mm. The hairs are up to c. 1 mm long, the longest slightly exceeding 1 mm. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 02.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – habit in senescence (male plant). Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – habit in senescence (female plant). Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – spent male flowers. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – spent male flowers. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – capsules. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – capsules. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – capsules. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – capsules. Osogovo, hilly area between the village of Rajchani and the “Svilanovo” region, 07.10.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Silene densiflora – seeds. Scale in mm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Silene L. Chater, A. O. and Walters, S. M. in Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M., & Webb, D.A. (1964). Flora Europaea. Volume 1. Lycopodiaceae to Platanaceae. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 158 -181.
Silene L. Micevski, K. (1993). The Flora of the Republic of Macedonia Vol. I, Book 2. Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, pp 302 – 346.
