Silene delavayi Franch.

This species is used medicinally.

Herbs perennial, 20--40(--60) cm tall. Roots conical. Stems sparsely caespitose, ascending, simple, apically densely glandular hairy. Basal leaves elliptic-lanceolate, 3--8(--12) × 1--1.7 (--2.5) cm, minutely pubescent, ciliate, midvein obvious, densely pubescent, base attenuate into long petiole, sometimes nearly cuneate, apex acute or obtuse; cauline leaves usually 2--4 pairs, violet, lanceolate, 1.5--3 cm. Cymes many flowered; flowers slightly nutant. Pedicel shorter than calyx, densely violet glandular hairy; bracts lanceolate, herbaceous. Calyx narrowly campanulate or cylindric-campanulate, 1--1.5(--2) cm × 4--5 mm, densely violet glandular hairy, longitudinal veins violet; calyx teeth triangular-lanceolate, 4--6 mm. Androgynophore ca. 2 mm, glabrous. Petals red or dark violet, (1.5--)2--2.5(--3) cm; claws narrowly cuneate, glabrous, auricles triangular; limbs exserted beyond calyx, nearly orbicular, shallowly bifid or emarginate; lobes nearly ovate, erose at apex, sometimes lateral part of limb 1-toothed at base; coronal scales narrowly elliptic, apex erose. Stamens slightly exserted; filaments glabrous. Capsule globose-ovoid, ca. 1.5 cm, shorter than calyx. Seeds dark brown, reniform, 1.2--1.5 mm, minutely tuberculate, with long, sharp tubercles toward abaxial side. Fl. Jul--Aug, fr. Sep--Oct.

NW Yunnan.

* Mountain grasslands; below 3800 m.

Lychnis delavayi (Franchet) Diels; Melandrium delavayi (Franchet) Handel-Mazzetti.