| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
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 ).
Annual, perennial herb, erect to mat-forming, taprooted
Stem generally round in X -section
Leaf: blades thread-like to ovate; veins 1–5
Inflorescence: cyme, terminal or axillary, open to head- or umbel-like; flowers 1–many; peduncles and pedicels 0–50+ mm
Flower: hypanthium barely present; sepals 5, ± free, 1.5–8 mm, ± lanceolate to widely ovate, glabrous to glandular-hairy; petals 0 or 5, 1.5–10 mm, entire or notched; stamens inserted on obscure to prominent disk; ovary ± superior, styles 3, 0.5–2 mm
Fruit: capsule, ovoid to urn-shaped; teeth 6, ascending to recurved
Seeds 1–15+, grayish, dark brown, reddish brown, yellowish tan, blackish purple, or blackish
Species in genus: 150 species: n temp, especially mtns, arctic Am, Eurasia
Etymology: (Latin: sand, a common habitat)
Reference: [McNeill 1980 Rhodora 82:495–502]
| Native |
Perennial, tufted or stems trailing, green
Stem 10–40 cm, rounded, dull; hairs minute, down-curved, in lines
Leaf 8–22 mm, 2–6 mm wide, generally narrowly lanceolate to oblanceolate, herbaceous, obtuse to acute; vein 1
Inflorescence: cyme, terminal or axillary; flowers few–many; pedicels 3–25 mm
Flower: sepals 1.5–2.8 mm, in fruit < 3.5 mm, acute to acuminate; petals 1.5–3.5 mm; nectaries not apparent
Seeds 8–12, 0.7–0.8 mm, ± circular, compressed, smooth, dark brown
Chromosomes: 2n=44
Ecology: Uncommon. Moist, sandy soil along streams
Elevation: 1800–2600 m.
Bioregional distribution: San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges
Distribution outside California: to Utah, New Mexico, Mexico
Synonyms: A. confusa Rydb.; Stellaria lagunensis M.E. Jones