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 ).

SILENE

CATCHFLY, CAMPION

Dieter H. Wilken

Annual, biennial, perennial herb, ± erect, rarely dioecious, taprooted or rhizomed
Leaves petioled or not; blade linear to oblanceolate; vein 1
Inflorescence: cyme, generally terminal, sometimes axillary, open to dense; flowers few–many, generally erect, generally with pedicels 5–40+ mm
Flower generally bisexual; sepals 5, fused, tube prominent, 4–25 mm, 2–13 mm diam, cylindric to bell-shaped, rounded, hairs various or 0, veins generally 10+, lobes or teeth 1–13 mm, < tube, triangular to linear; petals 5, 6–48 mm, claw long, blade entire or 2–6-lobed, appendages 0–6 at junction of claw and blade; basal lobes present or 0; stamens generally fertile, fused with petals to stalk; ovary chamber 1 or ± incompletely 3–5, styles 3–5, 1–35 mm
Fruit: capsule, cylindric to ovoid; stalk 0–7 mm, generally glabrous; teeth 3, 6, or 10, ascending to recurved
Seeds many, gray to red, brown, or black
Species in genus: 500 species: n hemisphere
Etymology: (Greek: Probably from mythological Silenus, intoxicated foster-father of Bacchus, who was covered with foam, from sticky secretions of many species)
Reference: [Hitchcock & Maguire 1947 Univ Wash Publ Biol 13:1–73; Showers 1987 Madroño 29–40]

Native

S. laciniata Cav. subsp. major C.L. Hitchc. & Maguire

Perennial 30–70 cm; caudex simple or few-branched
Stem reclining or decumbent, ± glabrous below, glandular-puberulent above
Leaves slightly reduced upward, 1.5–10 cm, 2–10(20) mm wide; lower oblanceolate to lanceolate; upper ± linear
Inflorescence: flowers ascending to erect
Flower: calyx 12–26 mm, glandular-puberulent, faintly 10-veined, lobes 3–5 mm; petal claw glabrous to ciliate, appendages 2, blade 4–6-lobed, bright red; stamens slightly > petals; styles 3, exserted
Fruit oblong to ovoid; stalk 2–4 mm
Seed 1–1.5 mm, reddish brown
Chromosomes: 2n=96
Ecology: Chaparral, oak woodland
Elevation: < 1200 m.
Bioregional distribution: s Outer South Coast Ranges, Southwestern California
Distribution outside California: Baja California
Synonyms: vars. angustifolia C.L. Hitchc. & Maguire, latifolia C.L. Hitchc. & Maguire
Other subsp. in sw US, Mex; closely related to C. californica
Horticultural information: DRN: 15, 16, 17 &IRR: 7, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.