Chironia palustris Burch.

Erect, herbaceous plants, 30-70 cm tall, branched above. Leaves basal and cauline, the basal sometimes not persistent and then the cauline well developed or if the basal persistent then the cauline usually much reduced, the basal leaves oblong-cuneate, oblong or obovate-oblong, broadly rounded at the apex or shortly narrowing to an obtuse apex; the cauline sessile, linear-lanceolate, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate or oblong-elliptic, long acuminate, gradually narrowing to an acute apex or only slightly narrowed to a subacute or obtuse apex. Inflorescence a terminal open panicle of 2-3-flowered cymes, developing dichasially or monochasially. Calyx shorter than or about as long as the corolla-tube, lobes triangular to narrowly triangular, acute or subacute, narrowly membrane-edged and slightly carinate. Corolla pink, occasionally bleached white, persistent, 2-3 cm long, tube shorter than the lobes tubular-campanulate, slightly narrowed at the mouth but not produced into a long, slender neck. Stamens inserted 1-2 mm below the rim of the tube; filaments free for 2-3 mm and decurrent on the tube; anthers from slightly to strongly twisted. Ovary oblong-elliptic, acuminate into the style, 5-9 mm long; style 8-12 mm long, 2-lobed at the apex, lobes more or less oblong or suborbicular, up to 2 mm long and sometimes almost as broad. Fruit oblong-elliptic, short to long, narrowing to a pointed apex, splitting in 2, sometimes while the style is still intact above.