Jepson Herbarium
		University of California, Berkeley

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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, perennial herb, erect to sprawling; taprooted.
Leaf: thread-like to linear, vein 1; stipules 1–11 mm, lanceolate to widely triangular, scarious, ± entire or splitting ± at tip, white to tan.
Inflorescence: terminal, open to dense; flowers few to many; pedicels 0.5–28+ mm.
Flower: sepals 5, united in basal 1/5, 1.5–10 mm, lanceolate to ovate, glabrous to glandular-hairy; petals 5, 0.6–9 mm, entire; stamens 2–10; styles 3, 0.3–1.9 mm.
Fruit: capsule, ovoid; valves 3, spreading, tip recurved.
Seed: few to many, dark brown, red-brown, or black, often winged.
60 species: w North America, w South America, Medit. (Latin: derivative of Spergula) [Hartman & Rabeler 2005 FNANM 5:16–23]

Annual, ± delicate.
Stem: lower main generally 0.5–1 mm diam.
Leaf: ± fleshy; generally 0–2 per axillary cluster; stipules generally 1.5–4.5 mm, generally inconspicuous, generally deltate, dull, white to tan, tip acute to short- acuminate.
Inflorescence: generally 1–6+ × compound; flowers of upper branches often ± on 1 side, glandular-hairy.
Flower: sepals fused 0.4–0.6 mm, lobes 2.2–3.5 mm, in fruit < 4.5 mm; petals white or pink to rosy; stamens 8–10; styles 0.4–0.6 mm.
Fruit: 2.7–5.3 mm, 1–1.2 × calyx.
Seed: 0.4–0.6 mm, light brown, wing 0; ± sculptured, minutely papillate.
2n=36. Salt marshes, alkaline areas, sandy soils; < 400 m. Klamath Ranges, c Sierra Nevada Foothills, Great Central Valley, Central Coast, South Coast, s Channel Islands, Mojave Desert;

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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.