Silene hawaiiensis of the pink family (Caryophyllaceae), is a sprawling shrub with slanting or climbing stems 15 to 40 cm (6 to 16 in) long originating from an enlarged root, is covered with short, often sticky hairs. The stalkless narrow leaves are 6 to 15 mm (0.2 to 0.6 in) long and 0.5 to 0.8 mm (0.02 to 0.03 in) wide. Flowers are arranged in elongate clusters. Each flower has a stalk 3 to 6 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in) long; a five-toothed purple or purple-tinged calyx 11 to 14 mm (0.4 to 0.6 in) long; and five petals, greenish white above and maroon below, with a stalk-like base and a fiat, two-lobed, expanded portion about 4.5 to 5.5 mm (0.2 in) long. The fruit is a capsule about 6.5 to 8 mm (0.3 in) long which releases pale brown seeds 0.4 to 0.7 mm (0.02 to 0.03 in) long. This species differs from others of Silene by its growth habit; its covering of short, often sticky hairs; the shape of its leaves; the arrangement of its flower clusters; and the color of its petals.