Spergularia macrotheca |
Caryophyllaceae |
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beach sand-spurrey, sticky sand-spurrey |
pink family |
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Habit | Herbs winter annual, annual, biennial, or perennial. | |
Stems | erect to prostrate. |
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Leaves | opposite, pseudoverticillate, whorled, or rarely alternate; simple; petioles often present; stipules present or 0. |
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Inflorescences | terminal or axillary cymes; thyrses, or capitula, or flowers 1; bracts foliaceous, scarious, or absent; involucel bracts (epicalyx) immediately subtending calyx occasionally present. |
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Flowers | bisexual or occasionally unisexual; radial; hypanthium; when present, urceolate; cup-, disk-, or dish-shaped, sometimes abruptly expanded distally; sepals 4 or 5; distinct or connate basally or into a cup or tube; petals (0)4 or 5; distinct; stamens 1–10; in 1 or 2 whorls, arising from base of ovary, nectariferous disk or hypanthium rim; staminodes usually 0 or 1–10; pistils 1; ovaries superior, 1-locular or rarely 2-locular proximally or 3–5 locular; placentas free-central; basal, or axile in proximal half; styles 1–5(6); distinct or connate proximally; stigmas 2–5(6), often linear along adaxial surface of styles (or branches). |
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Fruits | capsules or utricles; carpophore sometimes present. |
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Seeds | 1–150(500), often laterally compressed, brown or black. |
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Spergularia macrotheca |
Caryophyllaceae |
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Distribution | ||
Discussion | Worldwide, especially in the Mediterranean region and North Temperate Zone. ~100 genera; 30 genera treated in Flora. Caryophyllaceae has traditionally been divided into three subfamilies: Paronychioideae (stipules present, sepals distinct), Alsinoideae (stipules absent, sepals mostly distinct), and Caryophylloideae (stipules absent, sepals connate into a cup or tube). Recent molecular studies have shown this scheme does not reflect phylogeny within the family; recognition of at least ten tribes is more realistic (see Harbaugh et al. 2010). Besides the taxa described below, species in two additional genera have been collected on ballast. Myosoton aquaticum, a native of Europe and Asia, was collected on ballast near Portland in 1902. It is similar to Stellaria media but has minute glandular hairs on both the stems and calyces as well as 5–6 styles and a capsule opening by 5–6 bifid valves. It is known from a few localities in Washington, Idaho, and British Columbia. Paronychia franciscana, a native of Chile known from around San Francisco Bay, has been collected on four occasions in Oregon, twice on ballast near Portland, twice in Curry County in 1924 and 1926. This plant is most similar to Cardionema ramosissimum but has sepals with a shorter awn (less than 1 mm) that are not densely woolly. |
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Source | Flora of Oregon, volume 1 | |
Sibling taxa | ||
Subordinate taxa | ||
Web links |
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