Annual with slender taproot; glabrous or rarely sparsely pubescent. Stems erect to ascending, 5–30 cm high. Leaves sessile, linear, 5–25 mm long, 2 mm wide, margins not revolute; stipules small, scarious, often caducous. Inflorescence branching, paniculate. Flowers c. 4 mm diam.; pedicels 3–20 mm long, usually not strongly deflexed after flowering; calyx glabrous, sepals ovate, acute, with scarious margins, 3–4 mm long; petals lanceolate, acute, white, slightly longer than sepals; stamens usually 5. Capsule broad-ovoid, slightly exceeding the sepals; seeds blackish, not or rarely papillose, 0.8–1 mm diam. with white, shining wing c. width of seed. Flowers mainly spring.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, MuF, Gold, CVU. Also naturalised WA, NSW. Native to Europe. An uncommon weed of disturbed soils.
Source:
Adams, L.G. (1996). Caryophyllaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 228–271. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
