Melandrium platyphyllum (Franchet) Handel-Mazzetti; M. praticola (W. W. Smith) Pax & K. Hoffmann; Silene platyphylla f. congesta Franchet; S. platyphylla f. involucrata Franchet; S. platyphylla f. paniculifera Franchet; S. platyphylla var. praticola (W. W. Smith) C. Y. Wu; S. praticola W. W. Smith.

Herbs perennial. Roots cylindric. Stems diffuse, 60--100 cm tall, much branched, pubescent. Leaves ovate, 6--8 × 3--5 cm, abaxially pubescent, margin ciliate, conspicuously 3- or 5-veined, base nearly rounded or shallowly ovate, apex acute. Lower internodes in dichasium long, subsequent short. Pedicel 6--30 mm, hirtellous. Bracts ovate, herbaceous, densely pubescent. Calyx tubular-clavate, ca. 1.5 cm, densely spinose hairy at veins; teeth triangular-lanceolate, margin membranous, ciliate, apex acute or acuminate. Androgynophore 1--2 mm. Petals white or pale red, ca. 2 cm; claws slightly exserted beyond calyx, oblanceolate, glabrous; limbs obovate, bifid to middle; lobes elliptic, with a linear lobe or narrow tooth on each side (shallowly 4-lobed in var. praticola). Stamens slightly exserted; filaments glabrous. Styles prominently exserted. Capsule ovoid, 8--10 mm, shorter than calyx. Seeds dark brown, reniform, ca. 1 mm, with lateral auricular pits. Fl. Jun--Aug, fr. Aug--Sep.

The primary dichasial branch is very long and subsequent ones short, especially so in f. involucrata . The species is not divided here, but Wu Zhengyi (editor’s note) prefers to maintain var. praticola .

* Forest margins, scrub; 2400--2700(--3200) m. SW Sichuan, W Yunnan.