Caryophyllaceae 143 



Family 29. CARYOPHYLLACEAE. PINK FAMILY. 



Annual or perennial herbs, rarely lignescent at base, 

 with nodose stems and opposite entire leaves. Flowers 

 regular perfect or rarely unisexual by abortion. Sepals 

 4-5, united into a tube or distinct. Petals as many (or 

 none), often emarginate-toothed or deeply bifid. Sta- 

 mens usually as many as petals and alternating with 

 them ; filaments sometimes slightly cohering at the base, 

 anthers introrse. Styles 2-5, free or united below ; 

 ovary free, 1-celled or imperfectly 2-5-celled at the base ; 

 placenta axial ; ovules usually numerous. Fruit a 

 many-seeded capsule, opening by 2-5 entire or bifid 

 valves, or 1-seeded and indehiscent. Embryo straight 

 or curved ; endosperm present. 



Ovary several-many-seeded, becoming a capsule. 



Sepals united. 1. SILENE. 



Sepals distinct. 

 Stipules none. 



Styles 3-4; petals divided nearly to the base. 2. ALSINE. 

 Styles 5. 



Petals retuse or bifid. 3. CERASTIUM. 



Petals entire or slightly emarginate. 4. SAGINA. 



Styles 3; petals entire. 5. ARENABIA. 



Stipules present. 



Leaves not cuspidate. 



Petals rather large or rarely none; .styles distinct. 



Leaves whorled. 6. SPERGULA. 



Leaves opposite. 7. TISSA. 



Petals minute; styles united below. 8. POLYCARPON. 



Leaves cuspidate. 9. LOEFL.INGIA. 



Ovary 1-ovuled, becoming a utricle. 10. PENTACAENA. 



1. SILENE L. CATCH-FLY. 



Annual or perennial herbs with clustered or solitary 

 stems and bright red or usually white flowers. Calyx 

 more or less inflated, tubular, ovoid or campanulate, 

 5-toothed or 5-cleft, 10-many-nerved. Petals 5, narrow, 

 clawed. Stamens 10. Styles 3, rarely 4-5 ; ovary 



