Spreading perennial with stems to 50 cm tall. Basal leaves obovate becoming smaller and more ovate and pointed up the stem. Sexes on separate plants. Sepal tube cylindrical with 10 veins on the male flowers, ovoid and with 20 veins on the female flowers. Petal tip about 1 cm long, deeply notched, bright pink. Scales narrow, pointed. Styles 5.

NW Europe

Grown generally as an herbaceous perennial; double flowers may be found and pale pink flowered variants are possibly hybrids with the annual weed S. latifolia Poir. [S. pratensis (Rafn.) Godr. & Gren., S. alba (Mill.) E.H. Krause]

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.