TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
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 fewmany 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 2several-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 25 or 1 and 23-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 ).
Perennial, ± prostrate, taprooted
Leaves: stipules 48 mm, lanceolate to ovate, scarious, ± entire, white; blade needle-like; vein 1
Inflorescence: flowers axillary, 15, ± sessile
Flower: hypanthium cup-shaped, not abruptly expanded above; sepals 5, free, 1.22.8 mm (except awn), oblong to obovate, densely woolly, margin scarious below, tip awned, awn 1.54 mm, very stout, spine-tipped; petals 5, 0.30.5 mm, scale-like; stamens 35, arising from hypanthium rim; ovary superior, styles 2, 0.2 mm
Fruit: utricle, elliptic
Seed 1, tan
Species in genus: 6 species: w North America, Chile
Etymology: (Greek: heart thread, from stamen shape)