Flora of North America species comparison

numerous, erect, simple, 3–15 cm, pubescent, viscid-glandular distally.

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

mostly basal, densely tufted;

basal numerous, pseudopetiolate, blade narrowly oblanceolate, tapering into base, 0.5–3 cm × 1.5–4 mm, ± fleshy, apex acute, puberulent;

cauline in 1–3 pairs, ± sessile, reduced, blade narrowly oblanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 0.7–2 cm × 1–3 mm, apex acute, puberulent.

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).

flowers terminal, solitary, or in single dichotomy, bracteate;

bracts leaflike, 3–15 mm.

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

bracts foliaceous, scarious, or absent;

involucel bracteoles present or often absent.

erect, ca. equaling calyx, viscid glandular-pubescent, hairs with purple septa.

present or rarely flowers sessile or subsessile.

calyx prominently 10-veined, campanulate, not contracted proximally around carpophore, 10–15 × 5–7 mm, papery, veins parallel, purplish, with pale commissures, with purple-septate glandular hairs (rarely septa not purple), lobes ovate, ca. 2 mm, margins broad, membranous, apex obtuse;

corolla off-white or tinged with dusky purple, clawed, claw equaling calyx, broadened distally, limb 2-lobed, 3–5 mm, appendages ca. 1 mm;

stamens equaling calyx;

styles 3(–4), equaling calyx.

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.

equaling calyx, opening by 6 (or 8) teeth;

carpophore 2.5–3.5 mm.

brown, broadly winged, reniform, 1–2 mm, rugose-tessellate.

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].

= 48.