TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL	previous taxon | next taxon Jepson Interchange (more information)
	©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California Print edition is available from the University of California Press

	The second edition of The Jepson Manual (2012) is available from the University of California Press
	See also the Jepson eFlora, which parallels the Second Edition

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 ).

SILENE

CATCHFLY, CAMPION

Dieter H. Wilken

Annual, biennial, perennial herb, ± erect, rarely dioecious, taprooted or rhizomed
Leaves petioled or not; blade linear to oblanceolate; vein 1
Inflorescence: cyme, generally terminal, sometimes axillary, open to dense; flowers few–many, generally erect, generally with pedicels 5–40+ mm
Flower generally bisexual; sepals 5, fused, tube prominent, 4–25 mm, 2–13 mm diam, cylindric to bell-shaped, rounded, hairs various or 0, veins generally 10+, lobes or teeth 1–13 mm, < tube, triangular to linear; petals 5, 6–48 mm, claw long, blade entire or 2–6-lobed, appendages 0–6 at junction of claw and blade; basal lobes present or 0; stamens generally fertile, fused with petals to stalk; ovary chamber 1 or ± incompletely 3–5, styles 3–5, 1–35 mm
Fruit: capsule, cylindric to ovoid; stalk 0–7 mm, generally glabrous; teeth 3, 6, or 10, ascending to recurved
Seeds many, gray to red, brown, or black
Species in genus: 500 species: n hemisphere
Etymology: (Greek: Probably from mythological Silenus, intoxicated foster-father of Bacchus, who was covered with foam, from sticky secretions of many species)
Reference: [Hitchcock & Maguire 1947 Univ Wash Publ Biol 13:1–73; Showers 1987 Madroño 29–40]

Native

S. occidentalis S. Watson

Perennial 30–60 cm; caudex simple or branched
Stem erect, short-soft-hairy, glandular above
Leaves gradually reduced upward; lower 5–12 cm, 7–20 mm wide, generally oblanceolate; upper 2–8.5 cm, 3–18 mm wide, oblanceolate
Inflorescence axillary and terminal; flowers ascending to erect
Flower: calyx 15–38 mm, short-glandular-hairy, 10-veined, lobes 2–4 mm; petal claw ciliate at base, appendages 2, blades 4-lobed, pink to rose-red; stamens slightly > petals; styles 3, ± = petals
Fruit oblong to ovate; stalk 4–18 mm, short-hairy
Seed 1–1.5 mm, grayish brown
Ecology: Chaparral, coniferous forest
Elevation: 700–2300 m.
Bioregional distribution: s High Cascade Range, n High Sierra Nevada, Modoc Plateau.

Native

subsp. longistipitata C.L. Hitchc. & Maguire

WESTERN CAMPION

Flower: calyx 27–38 mm; petal claws 30–40 mm, blades 14–20 mm
Fruit: stalk 10–18 mm
Ecology: UNCOMMON. Habitat of sp.
Elevation: 1000–2000 m.
Bioregional distribution: s High Cascade Range (Butte, Tehama cos.).Relationship to subsp. occidentalis needs study.