Caryophyllaceae - Pink Family

Caryophyllaceae - Pink Family

The scientific name for the Pink Family, Caryophyllaceae, is derived from a Greek word
that means "carnation", the showiest member of the family. It's a moderately large family of about 2000 species and 80 genera, found mostly throughout the north temperate zone, especially in northern Mediterranean countries, although it's also well represented in our Northwest. Typically, the plants in the pink family have narrow, opposed leaves that originate from swollen nodes along the stem. Ornamental plants and cut flowers, especially species of Dianthus (carnations, sweet william, etc.), have considerable economic importance.
The flowers of the Pink family have 5 sepals, free from one another or united into a calyx, petals are usually 5, each often with a slender portion at base and fringed or toothed at the ends. Stamens are 5 or 10 and pistils are 1 to 5. All these parts are attached at the base of the ovary. The flowers are blooming singly or in a branched or forked cluster. Leaves are opposite, simple, widely lance-shaped to very narrow, thread-like. The fruit is usually a capsule.

General Guide to Identify Species of the Pink Family

PETALS LARGE, SHOWY, DEEPLY SPLIT, SEPALS JOINED

Silene latifolia ssp. alba - White Campion
Tall, hairy plant with male or female flowers.
Flowers are white, large, with deeply divided, curled petals.
Leaves are opposite, widely lance-shaped, hairy.

Silene parryi - Parry's Campion
Taller, slender, erect plant, growing on open slopes at higher elevations.
Flowers are large, about 2 cm wide with deeply 4-cleft and curled petals.
Leaves are lance-shaped, opposite and also clustered at base.

Silene vulgaris - Bladder Campion
Hairless herb with leafy stems, common on disturbed ground.
Flowers white, about 2 cm wide, flaring from the inflated, balloon-like calyx.
Leaves are opposite, lance-shaped, often joined around stem at base.

PETALS SHOWY, BROAD AT TIP, SEPALS JOINED. SMALL, ALPINE PLANT

Silene acaulis - Moss Campion
Low, alpine plant, often forming compact cushions.
Flowers pink to pale purple, with petals slightly notched, solitary on stems.
Leaves mainly basal, linear, stiff.

PETALS LARGE, SHOWY, BROAD AT TIP, SEPALS JOINED. TALLER PLANTS

Saponaria officinalis - Soapwort
40-90 cm tall, hairless, very leafy, in colonies. Roadsides, disturbed areas.
Flowers white to pink, 2-3 cm wide, fragrant, with 5 broad, petals, often double.
Leaves opposite, mostly lanceolate, 4-10 cm long, as many as 20 pairs.

PETALS BROAD, ROUNDED AND SPLIT. SEPALS SEPARATE

Cerastium arvense - Field Chickweed
Glandular-hairy, tufted plant, growing on dry, open, rocky sites.
Flowers white, petals 2-3 times as long as sepals.
Leaves opposite, velvety with glands, often with tufts of leaves in their axils.

Cerastium fontanum - Common Chickweed
Loosely tufted herb with long hairs. New, leafed shoots growing from bases.
Flowers small, white, with petals only slightly longer than the sepals.
Leaves egg-shaped, hairy, with blunt tips.

PETALS NARROW, POINTED, DEEPLY SPLIT IN HALF. SEPALS SEPARATE

Stellaria americana - American Chickweed
Sticky-glandular-hairy, ill-smelling, 5-10 cm tall. Rocky sites in high mountains.
Flowers white, 10-15 mm wide, with 5 petals 2-lobed part of their length.
Leaves deep green, broadly lanceolate, up to 3 cm long, stalkless.

Stellaria longipes - Long-stalked Starwort
Small, hairless herb, slender, growing in small tufts at higher elevations.
Flowers white, about 1 cm wide, petals longer than sepals, on long stalks.
Leaves are bluish-grey, stiff, stalkless, lance-shaped to linear, pointed.

Stellaria media - Common Chickweed or Common Starwort
Trailing, matted plant, common garden weed, widespread on disturbed sites.
Flowers small, white, several clustered on stem tops, sepals hairy.
Leaves juicy green, broadly egg-shaped, short-stalked.

PETALS ROUNDED, NOT DIVIDED. SEPALS SEPARATE

Arenaria congesta - Ball-head Sandwort
Stems hairless, simple, 15-40 cm tall. Dry grasslands and sagebrush areas.
Flowers white, about 1 cm wide, in dense ball-like heads or in open clusters
Leaves very narrow, 5-8 mm long, in 2-4 pairs, sharp-tipped.

Arenaria hookeri - Hooker's Sandwort
Tiny needle-like foliage forms hard cushions. Rocky slopes at higher elevations.
Flowers small, white, in stem-less clusters covering the cushion.
Leaves linear, rigid, pointed, floral stem leaves glandular.

Arenaria serpyllifolia - Thymeleaf Sandwort
Low-growing, branching, delicate herb, growing on dry or sandy ground.
Flowers small, white. Sepals are pointed, 3-4 mm long, longer than petals.
Leaves short, lance- to egg-shaped, stalkless, without hairs on edges.

Minuartia nuttallii - Nuttall's Sandwort
Matted plant, 3-10 cm tall, glandular-hairy. Sagebrush hills to alpine slopes.
Flowers white, 10-15 mm wide, on spreading stalks. Petals broad-lanceolate.
Leaves 5-10 mm long, linear- to awl- or narrowly needle-shaped, 3-nerved.

Minuartia obtusiloba - Alpine Sandwort
Small, alpine, tufted, herb, 3-8 cm tall. Grows on dry slopes.
Flowers white, showy, up to 12 mm wide. Sepals blunt-tipped, 4-5 mm long.
Leaves mainly basal, thick, narrowly lance-shaped, forming small cushions.

Moehringia lateriflora - Blunt-leaved Sandwort
Delicate, minutely hairy herb. Moist sites, at medium to higher elevations.
Flowers white, usually paired. Sepals white-edged, much shorter than petals.
Leaves egg- to lance-shaped, non-stalked, blunt-tipped, thin, with hairy edges.

PETALS SMALL OR ABSENT, NOT DIVIDED. SEPALS SEPARATE

Sagina saginoides - Arctic Pearlwort
Small, herb, 1-2 cm high, tufted. Moist, sandy ground at higher elevations.
Flowers small, solitary on long stalks, petals 5, white, sepals same length.
Leaves awl-shaped, lacking colorless points.

Alphabetical listing with links to presented species of the Pink family:

Scientific Name	English Name	Swedish Name

Arenaria A. congesta A. hookeri A. serpyllifolia Cerastium C. arvense C. fontanum Minuartia M. nuttallii M. obtusiloba Moehringia M. lateriflora Sagina S. saginoides Saponaria S. officinalis Silene S. acaulis S. latifolia S. parryi S. vulgaris Stellaria S. americana S. longipes S. media	Sandwort Ballhead Sandwort Hooker's Sandwort Thyme-leaved Sandwort Field Chickweed Field Chickweed Common Chickweed Sandwort Nuttall's Sandwort Alpine Sandwort Sandwort Blunt-leaved Sandwort Pearlwort Arctic Pearlwort Soapwort Soapwort Campion Moss Campion White Campion Parry's Campion Bladder Campion Starwort American Chickweed Long-stalked Starwort Common Starwort	Narvar - - Sandnarv Arvar Fältarv Hönsarv Nörlar - - Skogsnarvar Ryssnarv Smalnarvar Stennarv Såpnejlikor Såpnejlika Glimmar Fjällglim Vitblära - Smällglim Stjärnblommor - Polarstjärnblomma Våtarv

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Contents

English Names Index

Scientific Names Index

Family Index