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. rubra (L.) J. Presl & C. Presl

Annual or short-lived perennial herb, delicate
Stem: lower main 0.3–0.5 mm diam
Leaf scarcely fleshy, 2–4+ per axillary cluster; stipules generally 3.5–5 mm, lanceolate, shiny white, conspicuous, tip ± long-acuminate
Inflorescence 1–3+ X compound or flower axillary, solitary, glandular-hairy
Flower: sepals fused 0.5–0.7 mm, lobes 2–3.2 mm, < 4 mm in fruit; petals pink; stamens 6–10; styles 0.6–0.8 mm
Fruit 3.5–5 mm, 1–1.2 X calyx
Seed 0.4–0.6 mm, reddish to dark brown, wingless; surface sculpture worm-like, minutely papillate
Chromosomes: 2n=18,36,54
Ecology: Open forests, gravelly glades, meadows, mud flats, disturbed areas
Elevation: < 2400 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Cascade Range, c Sierra Nevada Foothills, n&c High Sierra Nevada, Sacramento Valley, Central Western California, South Coast, San Gabriel Mountains, Peninsular Ranges
Distribution outside California: to British Columbia, e N.America, S.America; native to Europe