Silene pendula L.
Taprooted annual. Stems ascending, with glandular and fine eglandular hairs, 20-40 cm tall. Lvs with glandular and eglandular hairs, green, obovate-spathulate below, lanceolate and acute above, shortly connate in pairs, (10)-15-40 × (5)-8-20 mm. Infl. a lax 5-8-flowered raceme-like monochasium; pedicels erect at flowering, patent or pendent at fruiting, 10-20 mm long; bracts narrow-lanceolate, acute, green. Fls ⚥. Calyx cylindric at flowering, clavate, inflated and contracted at mouth at fruiting, often pink, (11)-12-16 mm long, with short dark glandular hairs on the 10 prominent veins, and fine white subappressed eglandular hairs; teeth triangular-obtuse, erect. Petals pink, emarginate; claw lobed at base of limb; coronal scales obtuse, c. 1 mm long. Styles 3, c. 8 mm long. Capsule ovoid, included in calyx; teeth 6; carpophore 3-6 mm long. Seeds blackish, subglobose, warty, c. 1.3 mm long.
N.: Wellington (Karori); S.: Canterbury (New Brighton), Otago (Seacliff).
S.E. Europe 1981
Garden escape on waste land.
The lax monochasium and reddish calyx with 10 very prominent veins distinguish S. pendula from other spp. of Silene and Lychnis in N.Z. Most material of S. pendula is finely hairy, but one specimen (CHR 143898, New Brighton, Christchurch, Healy 63/378, 6.12.1963) is entirely glabrous, somewhat smaller in stature and purple-tinged throughout. It matches descriptions of S. pendula 'Ruberrima Bonetti'.
