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UltravioletPhotography

Silene latifolia subsp. alba [White Campion]


Andrea B.

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Blum, A. G. (2014, 2016) Silene latifolia Poir. subsp. alba (P. Mill.) Greuter & Burdet (Caryophyllaceae) White Campion. Flowers photographed in ultraviolet and visible light. http://www.ultraviol...-white-campion/

 

Synonyms:

  • Evening Lychnis
  • White Cockle
  • Lychnis alba P. Mill.
  • Melandrium album (P. Mill.) Garcke
  • Silene alba (P. Mill.) Krause
  • Silene pratensis (Rafn) Godr. & Gren.

Comment:

The evening blooming S. latifolia has male and female flowers on the same plant. The inflated calyx is typical of the Silene genus. The plant is not native to the US but is widely naturalized in New England states.

 

A key to the differentiation between S. latifolia and other white flowered Silenes is that the female flowers of S. latifolia have 5 styles while the other varieties have only 3.

 

In Ultraviolet light White Campion is moderately UV-absorbing with evidence of some iridescence depending on the angle of the illumination particularly on the inner cycle of petals. There are no distinct UV-dark markings.

 

Reference:

1. New England Wild Flower Society (2014) Silene latifolia Poir. White Campion. https://gobotany.new...lene/latifolia/

The Flora Novae Angliae used on this website states that the New England subspecies is S. latifolia subsp. alba.

 

 

SET 1

Southwest Harbor, Maine, USA

10 July 2014

Wildflower

 

Equipment [Nikon D600-broadband + Carl Zeiss 60mm f/4.0 UV-Planar]

 

Visible Light [f/11 for 1/320" @ ISO 100 with Nikon Df + Nikon 60mm f/2.8G Micro-Nikkor]

A female (carpellate) flower of S. latifolia.

sileneLatifolia_070814shoreCottageSwhME_5644pn.jpg

 

Visible Light [f/11 for 2.5" @ ISO 400 with onboard Flash and Baader UVIR-Block Filter]

A male (pistillate) flower of S. latifolia.

sileneLatifoliaVisFlash_071014shoreCottageSwhME_20974pnPf.jpg

 

Visible Light [f/11 for 1/1.6" @ ISO 400 with onboard Flash and Baader UVIR-Block Filter]

sileneLatifoliaCalyxVisFlash_071014shoreCottageSwhME_21020pnPf.jpg

 

Visible Light [f/11 for 1.3" @ ISO 100 with onboard Flash and Baader UVIR-Block Filter]

The female flower of S. latifolia has 5 styles.

sileneLatifoliaFiveStylesVisFlash_071214shoreCottageSwhME_21588pn.jpg

 

Ultraviolet Light [f/11 for 20" @ ISO 400 with SB-14 UV-modified Flash and Baader UV-Pass Filter]

A male (pistillate) flower of S. latifolia in Ultraviolet light. A long exposure was taken so that the UV flash could be fired 3 times for more even coverage.

sileneLatifoliaUVBaadSB14_071014shoreCottageSwhME_20980pnPf.jpg

 

Ultraviolet Light [f/11 for 20" @ ISO 400 with SB-14 UV-modified Flash and Baader UV-Pass Filter]

A long exposure was taken so that the UV flash could be fired 3 times for more even coverage.

sileneLatifoliaCalyxUVBaadSB14_071014shoreCottageSwhME_21022pn2.jpg

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  • 2 years later...

SET 2

Southwest Harbor, Maine, USA

01 August 2016

Wildflower

 

Equipment [Nikon D600-broadband + Nikon 105mm f/4.5 UV-Nikkor]

 

Visible Light [f/11 for 1/200" @ ISO-400 with onboard Flash and Baader UVIR-Block Filter]

sileneLatifolia_visFlash_20160801shoreCottageSwhME_48744pn.jpg

 

Visible Light [f/16 for 1/200" @ ISO-100 with onboard Flash and Baader UVIR-Block Filter]

This is a female (carpellate) flower.

sileneLatifolia_visFlash_20160801shoreCottageSwhME_48718pn.jpg

 

Ultraviolet Light [f/8 for 1/13" @ ISO-800 with SB-14 UV-modified Flash and Baader UV-Pass Filter]

This is a female (carpellate) flower.

sileneLatifolia_uvBaadSB14_20160801shoreCottageSwhME_48742pn.jpg

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The Silene latifolias are so pretty. I did some last summer; they grow everywhere here in Massachusetts. Andrea, how do you take these photos without your legs falling off?! When I tried taking photos of the flowers in situ, crouching down for so long was so painful that I ended up picking the flowers and putting them in a more convenient location. How long does it take you to snap enough photos of one flower that you can move on to the next one? It takes me like 30 minutes or more per flower.

 

Like this:

330WB80 Noflexar F5.6 2.5" ISO100

post-94-0-62765100-1484771909.jpg

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I'm lucky (maybe?) to be very limber. I say maybe because sometimes being very limber lets you fold up into positions which aren't so great for the back or neck if you sit there too long. I shoot a lot in locations like National Parks or Wildlife Preserves where flowers cannot be picked, so I just have to scrunch up on the ground and shoot. (Bjørn has a couple of hilarious photos of me doing this.) Sometimes I take along a plastic picnic cloth which folds up into a zippered rectangle which can be used as a knee pad. I have a simple, small Really Right Stuff ground pod for the camera. Using a UV-LED flashlight helps get the focus quickly set in UV.

 

But if the breezes are high or the light is variable, it can indeed take a very long time to get the series of shots. Sometimes I haven't exactly done that so I have to go back the next day. Or the next year. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

Practice, organization and following a good shooting protocol helps you get in and out quickly when doing field work. But ask my SigOth or Bjørn how many times I've returned to the car cussin' & fumin' with sweat running into my eyes, streaks of dirt on my face and lots of ruined shots !!!!!

 

Wear sunscreen. Wear insect repellent to help with ticks, ants, spiders, fleas, flies and no-see-ums. :excl:

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