Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae: Caryophyllales

Caryophyllaceae - Chickweed family

Illecebraceae

Wild, H. (1960-1) Caryophyllaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(2)

Description of the family

Annual or perennial herbs. Stipules present (wholly or partly scarious) or 0. Leaves simple, usually opposite and decussate, rarely whorled, entire. Flowers in cymes, usually in dichasia, sometimes in cymose clusters, rarely solitary, usually bisexual, actinomorphic. Sepals 4-5, free or fused. Petals usually 4-5, sometimes 0, often 2-fid, free. Stamens 8-10. Styles 2-5. Ovary superior. Fruit a many-seeded capsule.

Worldwide: 87 genera and 2,300 species, cosmopolitan, but especially temperate and warm northern hemisphere.

Zimbabwe: 5 cultivated genera and 7 cultivated taxa.

Saponaria officinalis

Links to cultivated genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Agrostemma L.
Cerastium L.Description
Dianthus L.Description
Saponaria L.Description, Image
Silene L.Description

Other sources of information about Caryophyllaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Caprivi: Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Malawi: Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Zambia: Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Caryophyllaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Caryophyllaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Caryophyllaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Caryophyllaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Caryophyllaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Caryophyllaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Caryophyllaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Caryophyllaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Caryophyllaceae
Wikipedia: Caryophyllaceae
Plants of the World Online: Caryophyllaceae
Tropicos: Caryophyllaceae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Cultivated plants: Family page: Caryophyllaceae.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/family.php?family_id=50, retrieved 19 March 2024

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