| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
previous taxon |
next taxon
Jepson Interchange (more information) |
|
|
©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, prostrate to erect, taprooted
Leaf: blade needle-like; vein 1
Inflorescence: cyme, axillary; flowers 2–5, dense or flower solitary, ± sessile
Flower: hypanthium widely obovate to urn-shaped, abruptly expanded above; sepals 5, 1.5–2.2 mm, narrowly triangular to awl-shaped, glabrous, margin thinly scarious; petals 0; stamens 1–10, arising from hypanthium rim; style 2-branched
Fruit: utricle, ovoid
Seed 1
Species in genus: 10 species: Eurasia, Africa, Australia
Etymology: (Greek: hard flower, from the extremely hard hypanthium)
| Introduced |
Stem prostrate to erect, much-branched, generally 4–15 cm, rigid; hairs in lines, fine, recurved
Leaf 4–13 mm; sheath scarious, ciliate; tip sharp-pointed
Inflorescence 3–15 mm diam
Flower 3–4.2 mm; hypanthium 10-ribbed, in fruit very hard; sepals narrowly triangular to awl-shaped, erect to spreading; style 2-branched > 1/2 length, ± 0.5 mm
Seed 1.4–1.6 mm, widely ovoid, tan except red crescent near acute tip
Chromosomes: 2n=22,44
Ecology: Meadows, stream margins, serpentine areas, disturbed areas
Elevation: 300–1200 m.
Bioregional distribution: Klamath Ranges, High North Coast Ranges, Outer North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, n Sierra Nevada, Peninsular Ranges
Distribution outside California: native to Europe