Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke

Stoutly taprooted perennial. Stems ascending to erect, glabrous, swollen at nodes, (10)–30–80 cm tall. Lvs glabrous or rarely hairy on surfaces, sometimes scabrid on margins, glaucous, ovate to linear-lanceolate to oblanceolate, acute, usually very shortly connate, 1.5–10 × 0.5–2 cm; lower lvs petiolate; upper lvs sessile. Infl. a lax 1–25–(40)-flowered dichasium; pedicels 5–15 mm; bracts ovate, green or scarious. Fls ☿. Calyx glabrous, glaucous, inflated, ovoid, 13–17 mm long; veins 20, weak with fine network of secondary veins; teeth broadly triangular, acute, ciliolate. Petals white; limb deeply emarginate, sometimes with 2 small lateral lobes near base; claw lobed near base of limb; coronal scales scale-like or oblong, 0–1 mm long. Styles 3, erect, c. 2 cm long. Capsule ovoid to spherical, included in calyx, dehiscing by 6 erect or recurved teeth; carpophore 2–3 mm long. Seeds dull brown, reniform, flattened, warty, 1–1.5 mm long.

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