| 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 prostrate; taproot and rhizomes present
Leaf: petiole present or 0; blade linear to ovate; vein 1
Inflorescence: cyme, terminal or axillary, few–many-flowered, open to dense or umbel-like or flower axillary, solitary; peduncles, pedicels 0.8–50+ mm
Flower: sepals generally 5, free, 1.5–5.5 mm, lanceolate to ovate, glabrous to glandular-hairy; petals 0 or 5, 0.8–7 mm, generally 2-lobed ± to base; stamens 10, sometimes fewer; styles 3(4–5 in S. calycantha), 0.2–2.8 mm
Fruit: capsule, ± ovoid to cylindric-oblong; teeth 6(8,10), ascending to recurved
Seeds several–many, brown to yellowish, reddish, or purplish brown
Species in genus: 120 species: worldwide
Etymology: (Latin: star, from flower shape)
Reference: [Chinnappa & Morton 1991 Rhodora 93:129–135; Morton & Rabeler 1989 Canad J Bot 67:121–127]
| Native |
Perennial, prostrate to erect, 5–25 cm, often glabrous; rhizome white
Stem: internodes glabrous or with wavy scattered hairs
Leaves ± evenly spaced; blade 3–25 mm, elliptic to ovate; margin ± smooth, flat to wavy, shiny, sometimes ciliate
Inflorescence terminal or axillary, 1–few-flowered; bracts leafy; pedicels ascending to erect, in fruit often recurved
Flower: sepals 5, 1.5–3 mm, ovate to elliptic, ± acute, glabrous, margin scarious, veins generally obscure; petals (0)5, 0.3–0.5 X sepals
Seed 0.7–0.9 mm, reddish brown; surface ± smooth or minutely roughened
Chromosomes: 2n=26
Ecology: Mossy banks, bogs, dry creeks, wet meadows, shaded areas
Elevation: 1700–3800 m.
Bioregional distribution: Klamath Ranges, Outer North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range Foothills, n&c Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi Mountain Area, San Gabriel Mountains, Modoc Plateau, White and Inyo Mountains
Distribution outside California: to Alaska, New Mexico; ne Asia
Flowering time: Jun–Aug
Synonyms: subsp. interior Hultén; var. simcoei (Howell) Fernald