Caryophyllaceae Juss.

Gemma Bramley, Anna Trias-Blasi & Richard Wilford (2023). The Kew Temperate Plant Families Identification Handbook. Kew Publishing Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Recognition

Characters of similar families: Amaranthaceae: stipules absent, leaves not connate, margins may be lobed or dentate, perianth uniseriate, capsules circumscissile, betalain pigments present. Gentianaceae: corolla tubular, stamens adnate to the corolla tube, fruit a 2-valved septicidal capsule.

Morphology General Habit

Herbs or sub-shrubs, rarely shrubs or small trees

Morphology Stem

Stems often swollen at nodes

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules occasionally present, mostly scarious

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple, opposite decussate, rarely alternate or whorled, often connate, entire, sometimes succulent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences cymose, shape highly variable, rarely single-flowered

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, rarely unisexual; sepals usually (4–)5 and leafy or scarious, free or fused into a tube, persistent, mostly subtended by bracts; petals (0–)4–5, rarely more, free, often clawed; limb entire, bifid, lacerate, or variously divided, coronal scales sometimes present at juncture with claw; staminodes sometimes present; stamens 1–2x the sepal number, rarely fewer, in 1 or 2 whorls; filaments free or connate at base; ovary superior, of 2–5(–10) united carpels, 1-locular, sometimes basally imperfectly 2–5-locular, ovules (1–)many; styles (1–)2–5(–6), usually filiform, sometimes united at base; petals, stamens and ovary sometimes separated from calyx by an anthophore

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a capsule dehiscing at apex by teeth or valves, rarely an achene or berry

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds small, (1–)many, usually globose to pyriform or reniform and laterally compressed, testa sculptured, rarely smooth, embryo usually curved around perisperm.

Distribution

About 100 genera and 2,200–3,000 species: mainly distributed in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, the centre of diversity being the Mediterranean and Irano-Turanean regions. Silene is the largest genus, other large genera include Dianthus, Arenaria, Cerastium, Gypsophila, Stellaria and Paronychia.

Note

Mostly herbs. Stems often swollen at nodes. Leaves simple, entire, opposite, often connate. Flowers actinomorphic, petals free, often clawed. Fruit usually a many-seeded capsule dehiscing at apex by teeth or valves.

Description Author

Saba Rokni

Caryophyllaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology General Habit

Herbs, annual or perennial; leaves opposite, simple, often connected at the base by a transverse line; stipules absent or if present often scarious

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers actinomorphic, mostly hermaphrodite, solitary or in cymes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals free or united into a tube, imbricate, often with membranous margins

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals as many as the sepals, often small or absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens up to 10, free from one another or slightly united at the base; anthers 2-celled, dehiscing longitudinally

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary superior, sessile or shortly stipitate, 1-celled or imperfectly divided at the base, with free-central placentation; styles free or variously connate; ovules mostly numerous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule opening by valves or apical teeth

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds with endosperm and a more or less curved peripheral or excentric embryo

Caryophyllaceae, H. Wild. Flora Zambesiaca 1:2. 1961

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial herbs or shrublets

Morphology Leaves

Leaves opposite, often arranged in false whorls; stipules present or absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence cymose, often loosely dichasial but occasionally secund or capitate, rarely flowers solitary

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers actinomorphic (at least in our genera), bisexual or unisexual, 5-merous or rarely 4-merous, perianth hypogynous or perigynous, often with an anthophore between the calyx and corolla

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals free or calyx gamosepalous, often persistent and frequently more or less scarious

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals free, in the gamosepalous genera usually with well-differentiated lamina and claw and coronal scales often present, in the polysepalous genera less differentiated and entire to more or less deeply bifid, sometimes absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens 5 + 5 or fewer by reduction

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary superior, sessile or shortly stalked, 1-locular or incompletely or more rarely completely divided into 2–5 loculi; ovules 2-many with axile, central, free-central or basal placentation

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit capsular

Illecebraceae, H. Wild. Flora Zambesiaca 1:2. 1961

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial herbs or rarely small shrubs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves opposite and often falsely whorled, more rarely spirally arranged (“alternate”); stipules scarious, free or connate, rarely absent Leaves opposite but arranged in false whorls; petals minute; stamens 1–2; style filiform

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences variable in form but often in dichotomous cymes or in glomerules, often with scarious bracts

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers actinomorphic, usually inconspicuous, bisexual or very rarely unisexual, 5-merous or more rarely 4-merous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals free or calyx gamosepalous, imbricate, usually persistent and more or less scarious

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals present or absent (the petals are regarded by some authors as being petaloid staminodes in which case the petals are always absent)

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens 1–5 (rarely more); filaments free or shortly connate at the base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary sessile, 1-locular; style one, or styles 2–3; ovule 1, rarely 2, erect or pendulous from a basal funicle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a utricle or indehiscent nutlet, 1-seeded or very rarely 2-seeded, included in the persistent calyx

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed with copious or little endosperm

Illecebraceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology General Habit

Herbs, rarely subshrubs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves mostly opposite, small, simple, often connate at the base, mostly entire; stipules scarious, simple or connate, rarely absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers small, herbaceous, green or white, often with scarious bracts, mostly hermaphrodite, actinomorphic

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx herbaceous or leathery, persistent, 4–5-lobed or parted, lobes imbricate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals absent or sometimes replaced by small staminodes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens the same number as and opposite the calyx-lobes, rarely fewer or more, mostly perigynous; filaments free or connate at the base into a ring; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary free, sessile, 1-celled; style 1, terminal, or styles 2–3; ovule 1, rarely 2, erect or pendulous from a basal funicle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a utricle or nut, mostly indehiscent, 1-seeded, included by the calyx

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed with copious or small endosperm; embryo annular to straight