Herbs, subshrubs, rarely shrubs, annual, biennial or perennial, dichotomously
branched; stems often swollen at nodes. Leaves usually opposite, sometimes alternate,
rarely whorled, simple, entire, rarely serrulate, often connate at base; stipules scarious,
sometimes connate, rarely absent. Inflorescences usually terminal, paniculate, racemiform or capitate dichasial cymes or cincinni, sometimes few-flowered or single-flowered; bracts often scarious. Flowers actinomorphic, usually bisexual, rarely unisexual. Sepals 4 - 5 (-25), rarely spirally arranged, free or united into a tube, often scarious-margined. Receptacle often prolonged into an anthophore carrying petals, stamens and ovary. Petals (4-) 5 (-12), free, entire, emarginate or 2-fid, rarely 4-fid, often basally clawed, sometimes with appendages on inner face, sometimes small or absent. Stamens (3-) 10 (-13), free, usually in 2 series, mostly obdiplostemonous; filaments free, filiform, those opposite sepals sometimes with a glandular thickening at base; anthers 2-locular
dorsifixed; locules parallel, sometimes separate, dehiscing longitudinally.Ovary superior unilocular or rarely incompletely 2 - 5-locular at base; ovules 2-many, rarely one, campylotropous or semianatropous; placentation free-central, axile or basal; styles 1 - 5, free or partially connate. Fruit a capsule, opening by as many or twice as many apical teeth or valves as there are styles, sometimes fleshy (Cucubalus) and dehisctng irregularly or indehiscent, sometimes an achene or nutlet; seeds usually many, rarely few to one,
endospermous; embryo usually curved or straight.
Cosmopolitan, mainly confined to temperate and alpine regions, some tropical; ca
70 genera and ca 1750 species; 25 genera and 122 species in India.
Notes.
Following the family delimitation proposed by Cronquist (1981),the family
Illecebraceae is included in the Caryophyllaceae.
Literature.
GHAZANPAR, S. A. & Y. J. NASIR (1986) Caryophyllaceae. In: Nasir & Ali, Fl. W. Pakistan 175: 1 - 125. GRIERSON, A. J. C. (1984) Caryophyllaceae. In: Grierson & Long, Fl. Bhutan 1(2): 197 - 216. HARA, H. & M. C. TEBBS (1979) Cariophyllaceae. In: Hara & Williams, Enum. Fl. Pl. Nepal 2: 51 - 59. MCNEILL, J. (1962) Taxonomic studies in the Alsinoideae I. Generic and infrageneric groups. Notes R. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 24: 79 - 155. MCNEILL, J. (1963) Taxonomic studies in the Alsinoideae II. A revision of the specia in the Orient. Ibid. 24: 241 - 404. PAX, F. & K. HOFFMANN (1934) Caryophyllaceae. In: Engler & Prantl, Pflanzenfam. ed. 2, 16c: 273 - 364. WILLIAMS, F. N.(1909) The Caryophyllceae of Tibet. J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 38: 395 - 407.
KEY TO THE GENERA
1a. Sepals free
2
b. Sepals united forming a distinct calyx tube or united partially at base only
18
2a. Petals usually absent; fruit an indehiscent nutlet or achene; seeds 1 or 2
3
b. Petals present; fruit a dehiscent capsule; seeds few to many
4
3a. Leaves free at base, stipulate; fruit an achene with a membranous wall