Agrostemma githago
L.Erect annual to 1 m high with white appressed hairs; stems simple or few-branched. Leaves sessile, connate at base, linear-lanceolate, 50–100 mm long, 2–10 mm wide. Flowers solitary or in axillary dichasia; peduncles 3–9 cm long; calyx tube ovoid, 1–1.5 cm long, the lobes much longer than the tube; petal limb red to lilac, slightly shorter than the calyx lobes, entire to emarginate. Capsule obovoid to campanulate, 1–2 cm long; seeds c. 3 mm long, acutely tuberculate, black.
Native to the Mediterranean region. Not recorded in Victoria since the 1890’s, where it was collected from a number of regional towns. Plants do not appear have persisted in these areas, and it is likely that this species was never truly naturalised in Victoria. Outside Victoria it is a weed of fields, particularly wheat fields.
Spinning
