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 ).

SAPONARIA

BOUNCING BET, SOAPWORT

Perennial, erect, rhizomed
Leaf petioled or not; blade oblanceolate to ovate; veins 3
Inflorescence: cyme, terminal or axillary; flowers 20–40+, dense; pedicels generally 0–3 mm
Flower: sepals 5, fused, tube prominent, 15–20 mm, 4–8 mm diam, lanceolate to oblong, rounded, veins 20, obscure, teeth 5, 1.5–5 mm, < tube, triangular, tapered; petals 5, 25–40 mm, claw long, blade entire to ± obcordate, appendages 2; stamens fused with petals to ovary stalk; styles 2, 2–2.5 cm
Fruit: capsule, ± ovoid; stalk 2–3 mm; valves 4, ascending to recurved
Seeds many, purplish to black
Species in genus: 30 species: Eurasia
Etymology: (Latin: soap, because juice lathers with water)