Silene noctiflora L.

Taprooted annual. Stems erect, usually unbranched, stout, with short glandular and long eglandular hairs, 20–35 cm tall. Lvs densely hispid, green; basal lvs oblanceolate-spathulate, acute, 5–8 × 1–3 cm; stem lvs becoming linear-lanceolate, very shortly connate, acute, 3–8 × 0.5–2 cm. Infl. a 3–10-flowered dichasium; pedicels 1–3 cm long; bracts linear-subulate, green. Fls ☿. Calyx with short glandular and short and long eglandular hairs, cylindric at flowering, ovoid at fruiting, contracted at mouth, 18–23 mm long, 10-veined; teeth linear-acuminate, erecto-patent. Petals pink above, yellowish beneath, inrolled by day, spreading at night, deeply divided; claw not lobed; coronal scales oblong, obtuse, c. 2 mm long. Styles 3, erect, c. 5 mm long. Capsule ovoid, slightly exserted, 10–14 mm long; teeth 6; carpophore c. 2 mm long. Seeds dull brown, reniform, papillate, c. 1.3 mm long.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Dec.–Feb.; Fruiting: Dec.–Feb.