Silene dioica
(L.) Clairv. Red CampionPerennial; hairs soft, spreading, almost eglandular. Stems erect, simple or basally branched, 20–90 cm. Leaves 20–90 mm long, 3–45 mm wide, petioles up to 30 mm long; basal leaves long-petiolate, obovate-oblong; stem leaves short-petiolate to subsessile, oblong-elliptic, acute to acuminate. Inflorescence terminal, many-flowered; bracts herbaceous. Flowers unisexual; pedicels 0–20 mm long; calyx cylindric-ovoid, becoming ovoid in fruit, 10–15 mm long, male 10-veined, female 20-veined, more or less glandular-hairy, calyx-lobes broadly triangular, acute; petal-limb 5–10 mm long, pale to deep pink, deeply bifid, lobes narrow-obovate; styles 5. Capsule globose to broad-ovoid, 10–15 mm long; carpophore absent; seeds discoid-reniform, dark brown, finely asperate-tuberculate, c. 1 mm long. Flowers mainly spring.
GipP, CVU. Vic. -precise distribution unknown. Native to Europe. A very sparse weed in south-eastern Australia, probably always originating as a garden escape and, like S. latifolia, rarely becoming naturalised owing to its dioecious habit.
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.
