About Petrorhagia dubia (Raf.) G.López & Romo
Petrorhagia dubia is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, commonly known as hairy pink. It is native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, and has been introduced to other continents including Australia, North America, and South America, where it sometimes occurs as a weed. This is an annual herb that typically grows 25 to 60 centimeters tall, and can reach up to 90 centimeters in height. Its leaves grow up to 6 centimeters long, with bases that sheath the stem. The inflorescence produces a head-like cluster of flowers, with the bases of the flowers enclosed in a large, expanded mass made of wide, claw-tipped bracts. Each flower's corolla is further enclosed in a tubular calyx of sepals. The petals range in color from bright pink to magenta or lavender, and have darker veins. Each petal is heart-shaped, or divided into two lobes at the tip. The fruit is a capsule that holds many tiny seeds.
