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, biennial, prostrate to erect, taprooted.
Leaf: blade needle-like; vein 1.
Inflorescence: axillary, dense; flowers 1–5, ± sessile.
Flower: hypanthium widely obovate to urn-shaped, abruptly expanded distally, in fruit hard; sepals 5, free, 1.5–4 mm, narrowly triangular to awl-shaped, glabrous, margin thinly scarious; petals 0; stamens 2–10, on hypanthium rim; styles 2.
Fruit: utricle, ovoid.
Seed: 1.
10 species: Eurasia, Africa, Australia. (Greek: hard flower, from hypanthium in fruit) [Thieret & Rabeler 2005 FNANM 5:149–151]

Stem: prostrate to erect, much-branched, generally 4–20 cm, rigid; hairs ± in lines, fine, recurved.
Leaf: 4–20+ mm; sheath scarious, ciliate; tip sharp-pointed.
Inflorescence: 3–15 mm diam.
Flower: 3–4.2 mm; hypanthium 10-ribbed; sepals narrowly triangular to awl-shaped, erect to spreading; styles ± 0.8–1 mm.
Seed: 1.4–1.6 mm, widely ovoid, tan except red crescent near acute tip.
2n=44. Meadows, stream margins, serpentine areas, disturbed areas; 300–1200 m. Klamath Ranges, Outer North Coast Ranges, High North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, n Sierra Nevada, c Sierra Nevada Foothills, Peninsular Ranges;

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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.