Caryophyllaceae
Pink Family
Silene antirrhina L.
- Stem: annual; 1’ to 2’ tall; often branched; short hairs lying close to the stem; sometimes dark, sticky bands below the upper nodes.
- Leaves: opposite; linear with rounded tips; 1” by 1/8” but variable in size; sessile; bulb-based hairs on the lower side.
- Inflorescence: cymes at the stem tip and from the upper axils.
- Flowers: petals pink to white, mostly hidden by the inflated calyx, 1/4” long; petals protrude only 1/16” to 1/8”; flowering from late May to mid-June.
- Fruits: somewhat elongated capsules, 1/4” in diameter within the calyx; fruiting begins in mid-June.
- Habitat: on dry, gravelly, or sandy prairies and in other open places, often where some disturbance has occurred.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
