Jepson Herbarium
		University of California, Berkeley

Directory       News       Site Map       Home

Indexes to all accepted names and synonyms: | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

Annual to perennial herb; rarely dioecious (Silene), taprooted or rhizome generally slender.
Leaf: simple, generally opposite (subwhorled), entire, pairs at nodes often ± connected at bases; stipules generally 0; petiole generally 0.
Inflorescence: generally cyme, generally open; flowers 1–many; involucre generally 0 (present in Dianthus, Petrorhagia).
Flower: generally bisexual, radial; hypanthium often present but obscure; sepals (4)5, ± free or fused into a tube, margins generally scarious, more so on inner 2 or not, tube generally not scarious, awns generally 0; petals (4)5 or 0, generally tapered to base (or with claw long, limb expanded), entire to 2–several-lobed, limb generally without scale-like appendages adaxially, generally without ear-like lobes at base; stamens generally 10, generally fertile, generally free, generally from ovary base; nectaries 0 or 5; ovary superior, generally 1-chambered, placentas basal or free-central, styles 2–5 with 0 branches or 1 with 2–3 branches.
Fruit: capsule or utricle (rarely ± dehiscent), generally sessile.
Seed: appendage generally 0 (present in Moehringia).
83 or 89 genera, 3000 species: widespread, especially arctic, alpine, temperate n hemisphere; some cultivated (Agrostemma, Arenaria, Cerastium, Dianthus, Gypsophila, Lychnis, Sagina, Saponaria, Silene, Vaccaria). [Rabeler & Hartman 2005 FNANM 5:3–215] Apetalous Caryophyllaceae can also be keyed in Rabeler & Hartman 2005 FNANM 5:5–8. —Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti.

Key to Caryophyllaceae

Annual, ± prostrate, taprooted.
Leaf: opposite below, alternate above, oblanceolate to obovate; vein 0–1; stipules 0.4–1 mm, ovate to deltate, scarious, ciliate, white.
Inflorescence: axillary; flowers 3–10, dense, ± sessile.
Flower: hypanthium cup-like, not abruptly expanded above; sepals 5, 0.6–1.2 mm, free, lanceolate to oblong, hairy, margin entire, not scarious; petals 0; stamens 2–5, staminodes 4–5, ± 0.5 mm, ± thread-like, on hypanthium rim; styles 2, or 2-branched, 0.1–0.4 mm, united in lower 1/3.
Fruit: utricle, obovoid.
Seed: 1, dark red-brown.
45 species: South America, Eur, s Asia, Africa. (Latin: rupture, 1 sp. being a supposed cure) [Thieret et al. 2005 FNANM 5:43–45]
Unabridged references: [Akeroyd 1993 Fl. Europaea ed. 2, 1:182–184]

Hairs dense, short, ± straight (except sometimes at tip), spreading.
Stem: generally 4–20 cm.
Leaf: stipules 0.5–1.3 mm; blade 3–12 mm.
Inflorescence: flowers 3–8.
Flower: sepals in fruit ± equal or not; stamens 2–5; styles 2 or 2-branched.
Fruit: minutely papillate.
Seed: ± compressed, smooth; margin with prominent rim. [Online Interchange]

Previous taxon: Herniaria
Next taxon: Herniaria hirsuta var. cinerea

Contact/Feedback

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].

Copyright © 2012 Regents of the University of California
We encourage links to these pages, but the content may not be downloaded for reposting, repackaging, redistributing, or sale in any form, without written permission from The Jepson Herbarium.

Bioregions in which taxon occurs	Markers link to CCH specimen records. If the markers are obscured, reload the page [or change window size and reload]. Yellow markers indicate records that may provide evidence for eFlora range revision or may have georeferencing or identification issues.
Chart based on elevation range in Manual and elevations and coordinates of CCH records. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. Note: About half of the CCH records include both elevation and coordinates.	Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. View all CCH records   CCH collections by month Duplicates counted once; synonyms included. Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa. Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.