Nodding buds and the white to pink flower petals 1 to 1-1/2 inches long help identify this species. Propagates primarily through rhizomes.
Rhizomatous. Long united white to pink petals, free at tips, 1 to 1-1/2 inches long, few to several in upper leaf axils, nodding in bud on reflexed stems; stigma 4 narrow lobed, white to pink flowers; seed capsule club-shaped, strongly 8-ribbed.
Habitat
Dry, open places, roadsides and fields.
Flower Characteristics
Heart-shaped pink veined petals gradually go from pink edges to white centers. Cup-shaped flowers 1 to 2 inches in diameter with short straight hairs beneath. Nodding buds open in late afternoon.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Narrow leaves pointed at both ends, attached close to the stem, occasionally wavy-margined, sometimes toothed and sometimes divided. Non-woody, branching stems with short soft hairs; short-stemmed to without stems.
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Capsules club-shaped, strongly 8-ribbed, the main body 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and tapering to a slender base; upper face of each valve with a prominent rib.
Seeds egg-shaped to tapering to a point at each end; clustered in 2 or more rows in each cell.