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 ).

SPERGULARIA

SAND-SPURREY

Annual, perennial herb, erect to sprawling; taprooted
Leaf: stipules 1–11 mm, lanceolate and acuminate to widely triangular, scarious, ± entire or splitting ± at tip, white to tan; blade thread-like to linear; vein 1
Inflorescence: generally cyme, terminal, few–many-flowered, open to dense; pedicels 0.5–28+ mm
Flower: sepals 5, ± free, 1.5–10 mm, lanceolate to ovate, glabrous to glandular-hairy; petals 5, 0.6–9 mm, entire; stamens 2–10; styles 3, 0.3–1.9 mm
Fruit: capsule, ovoid; valves 3, spreading with tip recurved
Seeds few–many, dark brown, reddish brown, or black
Species in genus: 40 species: worldwide
Etymology: (Latin: derivative of Spergula )
Reference: [Rossbach 1940 Rhodora 42:57–83,105–143,158–193,203–213]

Introduced

S. media (L.) Griseb.

Annual or short-lived perennial herb, stout
Stem: lower main generally 1–3 mm diam
Leaf distinctly fleshy; axillary clusters generally 0; stipules 2.6–6 mm, deltate, dull white, inconspicuous, tip obtuse to ± acute
Inflorescence simple or 1–2+ X compound, glabrous or sparsely glandular-hairy
Flower: sepals fused 0.3–1 mm, lobes 2.5–4 mm, < 5 mm in fruit; petals white; stamens 9–10; styles 0.5–1 mm
Fruit (4.5)5.5–8 mm, 1.2–1.4 X calyx
Seed 0.8–1.1 mm, dark brown, generally winged; surface ± smooth, not papillate
Chromosomes: 2n=18,36
Ecology: Salt flats, salt marshes, sandy beaches
Elevation: < 2 m.
Bioregional distribution: n Central Coast (Marin, Contra Costa cos.)
Distribution outside California: Oregon, e N.America, S.America; native to coastal Europe
S. maritima (All.) Chiov. may prove to be the correct name for this sp.