Silene salweenensis W. W. Smith; ?S. sinowatsonii W. W. Smith.

Herbs perennial. Stems sparsely clustered, diffuse, ascending, 40--60 cm, multibranched, pubescent, apically glandular hairy. Leaves elliptic, sometimes nearly obovate, 2--4 × 1--2 cm, abaxially villous, adaxially papillose or sparsely hairy, margin coarsely ciliate, midvein prominent, base cuneate, apex rounded or obtuse, mucronulate; distal leaves smaller. Dichasia 7--15-flowered, rachis densely glandular hairy. Pedicel 2--4 cm, glandular hairy; bracts lanceolate or linear. Calyx campanulate, 1.1--1.3 cm × ca. 3.5 mm, umbilicate at base; longitudinal veins violet, densely glandular hairy; calyx teeth suborbicular or obtusely triangular, ca. 1.5 mm, sparsely villous. Androgynophore ca. 2 mm, glabrous. Petals pale red, ca. 2 cm; claws exserted ca. 5 mm beyond calyx, oblanceolate, glabrous, auricles inconspicuous; limbs nearly orbicular, ca. 5 mm, shallowly 4-lobed; medial lobes square or elliptic, entire, lateral lobes dentate; coronal scales narrowly elliptic, small, margin entire. Stamens included, ca. 1/2 as long as calyx; filaments glabrous. Styles prominently exserted. Capsule ovoid-ellipsoid, ca. 8 mm. Fl. Sep, fr. Oct.

This species is similar to Silene monbeigii, but has a shorter calyx and androgynophore. Silene sinowatsonii has been reported to have the chromosome number 2 n = 24.

* Grasslands of forest margins; 2800--3000 m. Sichuan, Yunnan.