CARYOPHYLLACEAE  

Erect, glabrous annual herbs, dichotomously branched. Leaves opposite, ovate or lanceolate, glaucous, clasping at base; stipules 0. Inflorescences lax terminal dichasia. Flowers bisexual; antherophore present. Calyx: tube inflated below, whitish, prominently 5-ribbed, accrescent and becoming 5-winged in fruit, without scarious commissures; epicalyx 0. Petals 5, clawed; limb notched, exserted from calyx, pink or purple; coronal scales 0. Stamens 10, those opposite petals attached to claw; filaments slender. Ovary 2-locular below, 1-locular above; ovules many on free-central placenta; styles 2, linear, several times as long as ovary, glandular. Fruit a capsule, oblong to globular, membranous, enclosed in persistent calyx tube, with papery exocarp, dehiscent by 4 teeth, endocarp membranous, dehiscing irregularly. Seeds many, reniform or subglobose, minutely tuberculate, black. x= 10 (aneuploids, polyploidy).

Annual, biennial or perennial herbs, sometimes woody at base, diffuse, often glandular-viscid; stems often decumbent or ascending, swollen at nodes, with forked or fascicled branches. Leaves opposite, sometimes +/- fleshy, linear to filiform, with abbreviated leaf buds in their axils and appearing whorled; stipules scarious, connate in pairs and sheathing the node. Inflorescences cymose or pseudo-racemose. Flowers bisexual, rarely unisexual, subperigynous. Sepals 5, free, divided almost to base, obscurely nerved, with scarious margins. Petals 5, entire, rarely 0, white, pink or red. Stamens (2)5-10, unequal, arising on a perigynous ring; anthers medifixed, introrse. Ovary 1-locular; ovules many on free-central placenta; styles 3(-5), free or +/- connate. Fruit a capsule, subglobose or ovoid-trigonous, dehiscent almost to base into 3(-5) valves or teeth. Seeds many, ovoid, pyriform or subtrigonous, often winged; testa smooth, rugose or variously tuberculate; embryo annular or hooked. x= 9 (aneuploids, high polyploidy ).

Annual, biennial or perennial herbs, rarely geophytes or shrublets, sometimes caespitose; plants often monoecious or rarely gynodioecious or dioecious. Leaves opposite, entire, sometimes slightly connate at base; stipules 0. Inflorescences dichasial or monochasial, sometimes +/- capitate, sometimes flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual or unisexual; anthophore present. Calyx: tube 10-30(-60)-nerved, sometimes strongly inflated, with 5 short lobes, often glandular. Petals 5, arising on margin of disc, with long claw and entire to deeply divided limb, often with 2 scales at base. Stamens 10, in male and bisexual flowers, sometimes abnormally reduced, arising on margin of disc, the 5 opposite petals sometimes attached to claw. Disc columnar, often pubescent. Ovary on long gynophore adnate to disc, usually 1-locular, sometimes 3-locular towards base; ovules many on free central placenta; styles (2-)5, usually 3, as long as or longer than ovary, often glandular. Fruit a capsule, opening usually by twice as many teeth as styles present. Seeds many, +/- reniform, compressed, reticulate or tuberculate, sometimes with 2 wings; embryo +/- annular. x= 12 (aneuploids, high polyploidy).

Dwarf annual or perennial herbs, often tufted, sometimes cushion-like, or procumbent. Leaves subulate to linear-lanceolate, connate at base into a membranous sheath; stipules 0. Inflorescences few-flowered axillary or terminal cymes or flowers solitary on slender pedicels. Flowers bisexual, small and relatively inconspicuous. Sepals 4 or 5(6), free, sometimes persistent, green. Petals usually 0 or minute. Stamens 4 or 5 or (8)10. Ovary 1-locular; ovules many on free-central placenta; styles 4 or 5, very short, alternating with sepals. Fruit a capsule, dehiscent to base into 4 or 5 valves. Seeds many, orbicular-reniform, minute, brownish, slightly granulated. x= 11 (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) (high polyploidy).

Annual or perennial herbs, rarely somewhat woody at base, erect, often much-branched, rarely diffuse, tomentum not glandular. Leaves opposite or apparently whorled, often clustered at nodes on sessile axillary shoots, linear or oblanceolate to ovate; stipules scarious. Inflorescences terminal, loose or compact cymes, bracteate; bracts sepal-like. Flowers bisexual; perianth and stamens hypogynous or somewhat perigynous. Sepals 5, free, scarious, not keeled, rarely herbaceous, often silvery, white or brown to purple. Petals 5, much shorter than sepals, entire, 2-toothed. Stamens (2-)5; 5 inner staminodes sometimes present. Ovary 1-locular; ovules few to many on a free central placenta; style 3-fid or capitate. Fruit a capsule, 3-valved. Seeds few to many, often lenticular, sometimes slightly tuberculate, tiny, translucent, brown. x= 9 (aneuploids, polyploidy ).