| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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Jepson Interchange (more information) |
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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 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 |
Plant strongly perennial herb, stout
Stem: lower main 0.5–2 mm diam
Leaf ± not fleshy, 2–4+ per axillary cluster; stipules 3–8 mm, lanceolate, dull white, ± conspicuous, tip acuminate
Inflorescence 1–3+ X compound, glandular-hairy
Flower: sepals fused 0.5–0.7 mm, lobes 2.5–4 mm, < 5 mm in fruit; petals white; stamens 7–10; styles 0.4–0.6 mm
Fruit (4)5–6.5 mm, 1.1–1.3 X calyx
Seed 0.4–0.5 mm, reddish to dark brown, often winged; surface smooth or minutely roughened, sometimes glandular-hairy
Ecology: Sandy slopes and bluffs, clay ridges and plains, disturbed areas
Elevation: < 450 m.
Bioregional distribution: Outer North Coast Ranges, n Sierra Nevada Foothills, Sacramento Valley, Central Coast, Inner South Coast Ranges, s Channel Islands
Distribution outside California: Baja California; native to s S.America