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 ).

SAGINA

PEARLWORT

Annual, perennial herb, tufted to matted, taprooted
Leaf: blade linear to awl-shaped; vein 0–1
Inflorescence: flower solitary, terminal or axillary; pedicels 2–30 mm
Flower: sepals 4–5, free, 1.3–3.5 mm, lanceolate to ovate, glabrous to glandular-hairy; petals 0 or 4–5, 1–3 mm, entire or sometimes notched; stamens 4, 5, 8, or 10; styles 4–5, 0.1–0.6 mm
Fruit: capsule, ovoid; valves 4–5, spreading to recurved
Seeds few–many, brown or reddish brown
Species in genus: 25 species: n temp, tropical mtns
Etymology: (Latin: fattening, once applied to Spergula , used as early forage)
Reference: [Crow 1978 Rhodora 80:1–91]

Native

S. procumbens L.

ARCTIC PEARLWORT

Perennial 2–18 cm, glabrous; sterile basal rosettes often present
Stem slender, generally decumbent to ascending
Leaf not fleshy; blade 3–10(20) mm, linear
Inflorescence: pedicels 5–20(30) mm, thread-like, recurved in fruit
Flower: sepals 4(5), spreading to ascending after fruit dehiscence, 1.3–2 mm; petals 4(5), 1/4–1/2 X sepals, sometimes 0; stamens generally 4
Fruit 1.2–1.4 X sepals
Seed 0.3–0.4 mm, obliquely triangular, ± compressed, smooth or slightly roughened, brown; back grooved
Chromosomes: 2n=22
Ecology: Wet, gravelly or sandy soil, roadsides, sidewalk cracks, waste areas
Elevation: < 15 m.
Bioregional distribution: North Coast, Central Coast
Distribution outside California: to Alaska; also in ne N.America, Mexico
Horticultural information: TRY; INV.