Silene de Hifach
A species belonging to the Caryophyllaceae family. It was described and published by the French botanist George Rouy in 1885, in Moritz Willkomm’s work Illustrationes Florae Hispaniae Insularumque Balearium. This work provides a detailed description of the species, including a magnificent engraved and hand-coloured plate, and mentions that the species was discovered by Rouy on the Peñón de Hifach in 1883.
Distribution
Endemic to the eastern Iberian Peninsula, in the province of Alicante—between Montgó and the Serra Gelada—and to the Balearic Islands, found in western Ibiza and on some islets in both regions.
Habitat
It grows between 10 and 380 meters in altitude, mainly in cracks and crevices of vertical limestone cliffs that fall directly into the sea. However, in some localities in Alicante, it also grows at the base of cliffs and in nearby grasslands. In these areas, it usually flowers in spring and bears fruit in summer, when the capsules open, releasing a large number of seeds.
Conservation
The 11 known populations are made up of about 200 plants, although 5 of these populations are the result of reintroduction efforts in places where it had disappeared or are new populations. The existing plants are generally in good reproductive health, although the most significant threats include natural events such as landslides, fires, and droughts. In some cases, competition with invasive plant species is also a concern.
Image description
The optical microscope image shows two views of the seeds of this species, one lateral and one dorsal. The seeds are brown and typically kidney-shaped, slightly compressed laterally, and up to 2 millimetres in length. The surface is made up of a series of elongated cells in the central area and polygonal cells in the outer areas. Along the narrow edge, these cells become swollen structures called mamelones.
The scanning electron microscope image shows a detailed view of the surface, where a gradual transformation of the elongated cells into rectangular ones is visible, with a strongly toothed margin. These cells fit together like puzzle pieces.
Visual touch photograph
The optical microscope image shows two views of the seeds, one frontal and one dorsal. The seeds are brown, kidney-shaped, slightly compressed laterally, and up to 2 millimetres long. The surface is composed of elongated cells in the central zone and polygonal ones in the outer areas. Along the narrow edge, these cells become raised structures known as mamelones.
The scanning electron microscope image shows a surface detail, where elongated cells gradually transform into rectangular ones with a markedly toothed margin, fitting together like puzzle pieces.