Flora of North America species comparison

erect, simple proximal to inflorescence or with few basal branches, branched distally, to 75 cm.

erect or ascending, seldom sprawling, decumbent, or prostrate, simple or branched.

2 per node, gradually reduced distally;

basal blades oblanceolate, 6–12(–14) cm × 20–45 mm;

cauline blades ascending, conspicuously veined, broadly elliptic to lanceolate, 1–11 cm × 3–40 mm, apex acute, shortly acuminate, densely pubescent on both surfaces.

opposite, rarely whorled, connate proximally, petiolate (basal leaves) or often sessile, not stipulate;

blade linear or subulate to ovate, not succulent or rarely so (Silene).

cymose, 3–15-flowered, bracteate;

cyme open, flowers held on ascending branches;

bracts leaflike, narrowly lanceolate, 1–5 cm, apex acuminate.

terminal cymes, thyrses, fascicles, or capitula, or flowers solitary, axillary;

bracts foliaceous, scarious, or absent;

involucel bracteoles present or often absent.

ascending, straight, 1/3–3 times longer than calyx.

present or rarely flowers sessile or subsessile.

nocturnal, 20–25 mm diam.;

calyx prominently 10-veined, ovate-elliptic, fusiform, narrowed to both ends and constricted around carpophore, 15–24(–40) × ca. 3 mm in flower, swelling to 10 mm diam. in fruit, thin and papery, margins dentate, with pale commissures;

lobes erect, often recurved in fruit, linear-lanceolate, long, narrow, (3–)5–10(–15) mm, apex acuminate, short-pubescent, glandular, interspersed with long eglandular hairs, veins anastomosing;

corolla white, often pink tinged, clawed, claw equaling calyx lobes, limb deeply 2-lobed, lobes usually narrow, appendages 0.5–1.5 mm broad, margins entire or erose;

stamens shorter than petals;

styles 3, shorter than petals.

bisexual or seldom unisexual (the species then often dioecious), often conspicuous;

perianth and androecium hypogynous;

sepals 5, connate (1/4–)1/2+ their lengths into cup or tube, (1–)5–40(–62) mm, apex not hooded or awned;

petals absent or 5, often showy, white to pink or red, usually clawed, auricles absent or sometimes present, coronal appendages sometimes present, blade apex entire or emarginate to 2-fid, sometimes dentate to lacinate;

stamens (5 or) 10 (absent in pistillate flowers), in 1 or 2 whorls, arising from base of ovary;

staminodes absent or rarely 1–10;

ovary 1-locular, sometimes 2-locular proximally (Vaccaria), or 3–5-locular (some Silene);

styles 2–3(–5) (absent in staminate flowers), distinct;

stigmas 2–3(–5) (absent in staminate flowers).

capsules, opening by 4–6(–10) valves or teeth;

carpophore usually present.

ovoid, constricted at mouth, equaling or slightly longer than calyx tube, opening by 6 recurved teeth;

carpophore 1–3 mm.

dark brown to black, with gray bloom, broadly reniform, 0.8–1 mm, strongly tuberculate.

4–150(–500+), reddish to gray or often brown or black, usually reniform and laterally compressed to globose, sometimes oblong or shield-shaped and dorsiventrally compressed;

embryo peripheral and curved, or central and straight.

= 7, 10, 12, [13?,] 14, 15, 17, [18].

= 24.