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 ).

DIANTHUS

PINK, CARNATION

Annual, biennial, perennial herb, erect, taprooted or rhizomed
Leaf: blade linear to oblanceolate; vein 1 or lateral pairs less prominent
Inflorescence: cyme, terminal; flowers few–many, tightly dense, or flowers 1–few, loosely arranged; involucral bracts 2–6, linear to ovate; pedicels 0–3 mm or 10+ mm
Flower: sepals 5, fused, glabrous to hairy, tube prominent, 1.3–2 cm, 1.8–3.3 mm diam, ± cylindric, weakly 10–40-ribbed, lobes 3–8 mm, < tube, triangular to lanceolate; petals 5, 13–24 mm, claw long, blade irregularly toothed; stamens fused with petals to stalk; styles 2, 5–12 mm
Fruit: capsule, ± tubular; stalk 1–4 mm; teeth 4, ascending
Seeds many, black
Species in genus: 300 species: Eurasia to s Africa
Etymology: (Greek: divine flower, from beauty or fragrance of flower)

Introduced

D. deltoides L. subsp. deltoides

MAIDEN or MEADOW PINK

Perennial 18–40 cm; rhizomes slender
Leaves: basal blades oblanceolate; cauline blades linear to linear-lanceolate
Inflorescence: flowers 1–few, not dense; bracts 1/3–1/2 X calyx tube, ovate, short-tapered; pedicels mostly 5–10+ mm
Flower: calyx 1.3–1.7 cm, glabrous to minutely hairy above, ribs 25–30, lobes linear to ± triangular; petal blade 4–9 mm, deep pink with darker zigzag band near base
Fruit: stalk ± 3 mm
Chromosomes: 2n=30
Ecology: Wet meadows, disturbed areas
Elevation: < 2500 m.
Bioregional distribution: High Cascade Range, n&s High Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin Valley, Modoc Plateau
Distribution outside California: native to Europe