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 ).

MOENCHIA

Annual, erect, taprooted
Leaf: petiole present or 0; blade linear to oblanceolate; vein 1
Inflorescence: cyme, terminal; flowers few, ± open, or flower solitary; peduncles and pedicels 1–7+ cm
Flower: sepals generally 4, free, 3.8–7 mm, lanceolate, glabrous; petals (0)4, 2.5–6 mm, entire; stamens 4 or 8; styles generally 4, 0.2–0.4 mm
Fruit: capsule, cylindric, straight in upper half; teeth 8, rolled under
Seeds many, reddish brown
Species in genus: 6 species: w&c Eur, Medit
Etymology: (C. Moench, German naturalist, 1744–1805)