Caryophyllaceae

Abstract

Annual or perennial herbs, or subshrubs, rarely shrubs or small trees, usually monoecious, rarely gynodioecious or dioecious. Stems often swollen at the nodes, usually with anomalous secondary growth in older stems, also often occurring in the roots. Leaves opposite, decussate or apparently whorled, very rarely alternate, simple, entire, often connate at the base, sometimes succulent; stipules wanting, more rarely present, then mostly scarious. Flowers commonly protandrous, actinomorphic, very rarely weakly zygomorphic, usually bisexual, rarely unisexual, hypogynous or perigynous, sometimes obdiplostemonous. Inflorescences mostly dichasial, sometimes monochasial, rarely flowers solitary. Sepals (4−)5 or rarely more or fewer, imbricate, rarely valvate, completely free or connate for often most of their length, sometimes subtended by bracts (epicalyx). Petals (4−)5 or rarely more, free, aestivation contorted or rarely imbricate, entire, emarginate, bifid or lacerate, clawed or not, sometimes with coronal scales at the top of the claw, occasionally very small or absent.