Lychnis L.

Herbs, annual or perennial. Flowers bisexual, 5-merous with contorted aestivation. Calyx shortly campanulate or clavate, narrow, firm, not conspicuously inflated, lower part tubular with 5 free teeth above, 10-nerved. Petals long-clawed with coronal scales at base of limb, red or white. Stamens 10. Ovary 1-locular throughout or 5-locular at base; styles 5, opposite calyx segments. Carpophore usually present. Capsules sessile or stalked, enclosed in calyx; seeds very small, rugose or tuberculate.

Northern hemisphere; ca 15 species, 2 species in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

1a. Plants tomentose with long straight silky hairs; petals obcordate; seeds biconvex

1. Lychnis coronaria

b. Plants pubescent with short recurved hairs; petals obovate-cuneate; seeds rotundate-reniform

2. Lychnis ischnopetala

List of Lower Taxa