Perennial (biennial) covered with a felt of soft grey hair. Leaves stalkless, lanceolate. Flowers on long stalks to 60 cm tall, several in a cluster, bright cerise. Sepals about 1.5 cm long. Petals entire or notched, scales at the throat pointed.

SE Europe

Naturalised in SA, NSW, Tas, and NZ; in Victoria it seeds readily but can hardly be regarded as naturalised.

 

L. flos-jovis (L.) Desr. is similar, having densely white foliage and stems but the leaves are often widest above the centre and the flowers are combined into a head while L. flos-cuculi is not velvety and has the petals quite deeply cut.

Source: Spencer, R. (1997). Caryophyllaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 2. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 1. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.