Silene ornata Aiton

Perennial to 1 m, well branched with branches ascending at ± 45 degrees. or plants compact and almost cushion-forming in exposed situation; stems sprawling among vegetation or on rock surface, 1.5-2.5 mm diam., densely puberulous with spreading, gland-tipped hairs mixed with equally short, acute hairs 0.25-0.5 mm long, inflorescence axis often especially densely puberulous. Leaves mostly ± cauline, spreading, lower leaves oblanceolate-spathulate, sub-petiolate; stem leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate, mostly 50-80 x 10-20 mm, acute, base tapering or cuneate, margins plane or undulate, puberulous with mixture of erect, gland-tipped hairs and acute, eglandular hairs, ciliate at extreme base with longer hairs to 1 mm long, with evident side veins. Inflorescence a lax, few-flowered, assymetrical, paniculate cyme, axis 1.0-1.5 mm diam. below primary flower; bracts similar to upper leaves but smaller, subequal, spreading-recurved; primary pedicels 10-40 mm long, secondary pedicels 6-18 mm long. Flowers ± horizontally spreading on pedicels flexed sharply apically, ± open day and night, unscented. Calyx narrowly urn-shaped in flower, 19-21 mm long, 10-ribbed, with 1-3 reticulate veins in distal half, densely puberulous with erect, gland-tipped hairs, lobes narrowly triangular, 3-5 mm long, densely glandular-ciliolate. Petals deep carmine, limb spreading, cuneate, not overlapping with adjacent petals, (7-)10-15 x (7-)12-15 mm, bifid halfway to two thirds, claw strap-shaped, ± 15 x 3 mm, auriculate apically, coronal scales suberect, 2.0-2.5 mm long. Stamen filaments subequal, 14-15 mm long, reaching to just below top of claws; anthers ± 2 mm long, reaching top of claws, not exserted beyond corona. Ovary narrowly pyriform, shortly stipitate, ± 7 mm long, stipe ± 1 mm long; styles 7-12 mm long, included or exserted up to 4 mm beyond petal claw. Capsule ovoid, 15-18 x 6-7 mm, 4-5 x longer than carpophore, minutely granular; carpophore ± 4 mm long, glabrescent. Seeds 1.0-1.2 mm diam., subcircular with hilum recessed, grey or reddish brown, with scattered translucent cells, face flat or concave, back flat, testal cells radial-concentric, tuberculate.