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 ).

VELEZIA

Annual, erect, taprooted
Leaf: blade linear to awl-shaped; veins 3
Inflorescence axillary; flower generally solitary; pedicels 1.5–3.5 mm
Flower: sepals 5, fused, tube prominent, 10–14 mm, 0.8–1 mm diam, narrowly cylindric, rounded, ribs 15, teeth 1–1.2 mm, < tube, lanceolate-acuminate; petals 5, 11–16 mm, claw long, blade entire or notched, appendages 6–8, linear to lanceolate; stamens 5; styles 2, 7–8 mm
Fruit: capsule, narrowly cylindric; stalk 0.2–0.7 mm; teeth 4, ascending
Seeds 6–8, black
Species in genus: 6 species: Medit, s Asia
Etymology: (C. Velez, friend of botanist Loefling, 18th century)