Family: Caryophyllaceae Juss.
Distribution: Europe, except the northernmost and southeastern areas, Western Siberia, naturalized in Northern America.
Ecology: It grows in dry meadows and pastures, banks and field boundaries, from lowlands to mountains.
Description: A perennial herb, sparsely tufted, 10–30 cm high, the leaves are linear-pointed to lanceolate. The flowers are solitary, calyx is cylindrical, reddish, petals are carmine-red, toothed at tip, bristled and white-dotted at base. Flowers from June to October. The fruit is a capsule.
These images were taken in Czechia, Mohelenská hadcová step (June 2004).
