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 ).
Annual, matted or tufted, taprooted
Leaves opposite, sometimes appearing whorled; stipules 0.42.8 mm, lanceolate to triangular, scarious, entire to irregularly toothed or cut, white; petiole short or 0; blade oblanceolate to obovate; vein 1
Inflorescence: cyme, axillary; flowers fewmany, open to dense; pedicels 0.22 mm
Flower: sepals 5, ± free, 12.2 mm, lanceolate to ovate, glabrous, awn conic to widely triangular; petals 5, 0.51.1 mm, entire or notched; stamens 35, ± fused at base; style 1, 3-branched, 0.10.3 mm
Fruit: capsule, ovoid to spheric; valves 3, margin rolled inward
Seeds several, brown
Species in genus: 16 species: worldwide
Etymology: (Greek: many fruit, from capsule number)