TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) previous taxon | next taxon
Jepson Interchange (more information)
©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora.

    THIS PAGE IS NO LONGER UPDATED
    AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY
  • Up-to-date information about California vascular plants is available from the Jepson eFlora.

CARYOPHYLLACEAE

PINK FAMILY

Ronald L. Hartman (except Silene)

Annual, biennial, perennial herb, rarely dioecious, taprooted or rhizome generally slender
Leaves simple, generally opposite; stipules generally 0; petiole generally 0; blade entire, sheath generally 0
Inflorescence: cyme, generally open; flowers few–many or flower solitary and axillary; involucre generally 0
Flower generally bisexual, radial; hypanthium sometimes present; sepals generally 5, ± free or fused into a tube, tube generally herbaceous between lobes or teeth; awns generally 0; petals generally 5 or 0, generally tapered to base (or with claw long, blade expanded), entire to 2–several-lobed, blade generally without scale-like appendages (inner surface), generally without ear-like lobes at base; stamens generally 10, generally fertile, generally free, generally from ovary base; nectaries generally 0; ovary superior, generally 1-chambered, placentas basal or free-central, styles 2–5 or 1 and 2–3-branched
Fruit: capsule or utricle (rarely modified, dehiscent), generally sessile
Seeds: appendage generally 0
Genera in family: 85 genera, 2400 species: widespread, especially arctic, alpine, temp, n hemisphere; some cultivated (Agrostemma, Arenaria, Cerastium, Dianthus, Gypsophila, Lychnis, Saponaria, Silene, Vaccaria ).

ARENARIA

SANDWORT

Annual, perennial herb, erect to mat-forming, taprooted
Stem generally round in X -section
Leaf: blades thread-like to ovate; veins 1–5
Inflorescence: cyme, terminal or axillary, open to head- or umbel-like; flowers 1–many; peduncles and pedicels 0–50+ mm
Flower: hypanthium barely present; sepals 5, ± free, 1.5–8 mm, ± lanceolate to widely ovate, glabrous to glandular-hairy; petals 0 or 5, 1.5–10 mm, entire or notched; stamens inserted on obscure to prominent disk; ovary ± superior, styles 3, 0.5–2 mm
Fruit: capsule, ovoid to urn-shaped; teeth 6, ascending to recurved
Seeds 1–15+, grayish, dark brown, reddish brown, yellowish tan, blackish purple, or blackish
Species in genus: 150 species: n temp, especially mtns, arctic Am, Eurasia
Etymology: (Latin: sand, a common habitat)
Reference: [McNeill 1980 Rhodora 82:495–502]

Native

A. congesta Nutt.

Perennial, tufted, ± green
Stem 8–40 cm, ± dull, often glandular-hairy
Leaf 10–80 mm, 0.5–2 mm wide, thread- to needle-like, herbaceous or ± fleshy, sharply acute to spine-tipped; vein 1
Inflorescence: cyme, terminal, head- or umbel-like; flowers few–many, dense to ± open; pedicels < 7 mm
Flower: sepals 3–6 mm, in fruit < 6.5 mm, rounded to acute; petals 5–8 mm; nectaries < 0.2 mm, rounded
Seeds 4–8, 1.4–3 mm, widely elliptic to ovate, compressed, reddish brown; tubercles low, rounded, often elongate
Ecology: Dry, rocky or sandy slopes, ridges, rock crevices
Elevation: 1200–3300 m.
Bioregional distribution: Klamath Ranges, High North Coast Ranges, High Cascade Range, High Sierra Nevada, Great Basin Floristic Province, Desert Mountains
Distribution outside California: to Washington, Montana, Colorado
Varieties often intergrade.

previous taxon | next taxon
bioregional map for ARENARIA%20congesta being generated
 


Retrieve Jepson Interchange Index to Plant Names entry for Arenaria congesta
Retrieve dichotomous key for Arenaria
Return to treatment index page
Glossary
University & Jepson Herbaria Home Page | Copyright © by the Regents of the University of California