PINK FAMILY 69 



ORD. XII. CARYOPHYLLACE.E. — THE PlNK FAMILY 



An extensive and well-marked Order of herbaceous plants, 

 chiefly Arctic, Alpine, European and W. Asiatic. The stems, 

 which are sometimes woody below, are generally swollen at the 

 nodes or joints ; the leaves always opposite and simple, and often 

 glaucous ; the flowers polysymmetric, and frequently large and 

 ornamental, mostly red or white, in cymes. Sepals 4 — 5, distinct, 

 or with a calyx-tube below ; petals 4 — 5, distinct; stamens 4 — io, 

 usually twice as many as the petals, hypogynous ; carpels 2 — 5, 

 united into a 1 -chambered or imperfectly 2 — 5-chambered ovary 

 with free-central placentation ; styles 2 — 5 ; ovules numerous ; 

 capsule opening by twice as many teeth or valves as there are 

 styles. Though no members of the Order are put to much use, 

 the Pinks, Carnations, and Sweet Williams are favourite garden 

 flowers ; and our hedges are much indebted for their showy 

 appearance in spring to the great White Stitchwort, and in sum- 

 mer to the Red and White Campions. Botanists subdivide this 

 large order into three sub-orders. 



Sub- Order I. Silenece. — Campion Tribe. Leaves exstipulate ; 

 sepals 5, united into a tube ; petals 5, clawed ; stamens 10, united 

 at their base and inserted with the petals on the elongated axis 

 below the ovary ; styles distinct. 



* Two or more imbricate bracteoles below calyx 



1. Dianthus. — Styles 2 j capsule i-chambered, opening at the 

 top with 4 valves ; seeds flattened. 



** Without bracteoles 

 *2. Saponaria. — Styles 2 ; capsule i-chambered, opening at 

 the top with four valves ; seeds rounded. 



3. Silene. — Petals generally with a ligule ; styles 3, rarely 5 ; 

 capsule imperfectly 3-chambered, opening at the top with 3 — 6 

 valves. 



4. Lychnis. — Styles 4 — 5 ; capsule 1- or imperfectly 5-cham- 

 bered, opening at the top by 4—10 teeth. 



Sub- Order II. Alsinece. — Chickweed Tribe. Leaves exstipu- 

 late ; sepals distinct ; stamens not united ; ovary not stalked ; styles 

 distinct. 



5. Sagina. — Sepals 4 — 5 ; petals 4 — 5, minute, entire or 

 absent ; stamens 4 — 10 ; styles 4 — 5 ; capsule 4 — 5-valved, many- 

 seeded. 



