Jepson Herbarium
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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 to perennial herb, ± erect, from caudex, taproot, or rhizome; rarely dioecious.
Leaf: petioled or not; linear to oblanceolate, vein 1.
Inflorescence: generally terminal, open to dense; flowers few to many, pedicels generally 5–40+ mm.
Flower: generally erect, generally bisexual; sepals 5, fused, tube prominent, 4–38 mm, 2–13 mm diam, cylindric to bell-shaped, rounded, hairs various or 0 (walls between hair cells generally clear), veins generally 10+, generally dark, lobes or teeth 1–13 mm, < tube, triangular to linear; petals 5, 6–62 mm, claw long, limb entire or 2–6-lobed, appendages at junction of claw, limb 0–6, generally 2, basal lobes present or 0; stamens generally fertile, bases fused with petal bases to ovary stalk; ovary chamber 1 or ± incompletely 3–5, styles 3(4,5; if 5 then flowers unisexual, taxon dioecious), 1–35 mm.
Fruit: capsule, cylindric to ovoid; stalk (from ovary stalk) 0–7 mm, generally glabrous; teeth 6 or 10, ascending to recurved.
Seed: many, gray to red, brown, or black.
700 species: North America, South America, Eurasia, Africa, introduced ± worldwide. (Greek: probably from mythological Silenus) [Morton 2005 FNANM 5:166–214] Oxelman et al. (2001 Nordic J Bot 20: 743–748) including data for disarticulation of Silene into four additional genera, incl for CA Lychnis (Lychnis coronaria) and Atocion (Atocion armeria (L.) Raf., as Silene armeria here).
Unabridged etymology: (Greek: probably from mythological Silenus, intoxicated foster-father of Bacchus, who was covered with foam; from sticky secretions of many species)

Perennial 30–60 cm; caudex branches 0–few.
Stem: erect, short-soft-hairy, glandular above.
Leaf: gradually reduced upward; lower 5–12 cm, 7–20 mm wide, generally oblanceolate; upper 2–8.5 cm, 3–18 mm wide, oblanceolate.
Inflorescence: axillary and terminal.
Flower: ascending to erect; calyx 15–38 mm, short- glandular-hairy, 10-veined, lobes 2–4 mm; petal claw 12–40 mm, ciliate at base, appendages 2, limb 7–20 mm, pink to rose-red, lobes 4; stamens exserted; styles 3, ± = petal claws.
Fruit: oblong to ovate; stalk 4–18 mm, short-hairy.
Seed: 1–1.5 mm, gray-brown.
2n=48. Chaparral, conifer forest; 700–2300 m. s High Cascade Range, n High Sierra Nevada, Modoc Plateau.

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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].

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Bioregions in which taxon occurs	Red area (if present) is the part of the bioregion lying between the upper and lower elevation limits of the taxon; 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 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.	Map made in collaboration with Scott Loarie. 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.