| | Family guide for fruits and seeds |
Synonyms: Alsinaceae Bartl., nom. cons.; Dianthaceae Vest; Herniariaceae Martinov; Illecebraceae R. Br.; Paronychiaceae Juss.; Scleranthaceae Bercht. & J. Presl; Silenaceae Bartl.; Spergulaceae Bartl.; Stellariaceae Bercht. & J. Presl
Common name: Pink Family.
Number of genera 88. Number of species 2070.
Angiosperm. Magnoliopsida.
Disseminule a dehisced fruit, or an intact or entire fruit, or a seed.
Fruits
Pistil(s) compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium, or anthocarp; simple; capsule, or berry (Cucubalus); denticidal capsule (Cerastium glomeratum Thuill., Spjut Fig. 24C); capsule not inflated; capsule without operculum; simple; glans (Pollichia camprestris Aiton); without persistent central column; with styles(s); at apex; within accessory organ(s), or not within accessory organ(s); within calyx, or hypanthium (hypanthium scarcely present in Cucubalus); accrescent; persistent; with hypanthium wall distinct from fruit wall; with hypanthium fleshy, or dry; 1-seeded to many-seeded; 1-seeded (-many); (1–)2–5-carpellate; with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; without sterile carpels; apex not beaked; wall crustaceous, or membranaceous; dehiscent, or indehiscent. Dehiscent unit seed(s). Dehiscent regularly; passively; linearly; by circumscissile slit (Drypis spinosa L.); and shedding seeds; without replum. Epicarp durable; without armature; without wing(s); without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp absent, or present. Endocarp present, or absent; not separating from exocarp; thin; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; not smooth; without wing; without operculum; without secretory cavities; without mechanism for seedling escape; without grooves; without longitudinal ridges. Funiculus short; short without seed bearing hooks (retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.
Seeds
Aril absent, or present (Moehringia); a true aril; adnate to hilum. Seed larger than minute; C-shaped, or reniform, or straight; in transection compressed, or terete, or flattened; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak; without caudate appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves, or without apparent food reserves; with endosperm and perisperm; without canavanine. Sarcotesta absent. Testa present; without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; dull, or shiny; surface unsmooth, or smooth; surface with discreet raised features, or merged raised features; surface muricate, or papillate; surface reticulate, or corrugate (finely and regularly), or roughened; without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; with notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approaching each other, or without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrous; without wings, or with wing(s); 1-winged; with wing encompassing seed; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; black, or brown (all shades); crustaceous; not becoming mucilaginous when wetted; surrounding embryo, or surrounding food reserve. Hilum larger than punctate. Endosperm thin, or trace; restricted to sheath around radicle, or more limited than sheath around radicle; floury, or fleshy-soft, or hard; without fatty acid containing cyclopropene; without apical lobes; without chlorophyll; without isodiametric faceted surface; without odor.
Perisperm copious, or moderate, or trace; hard, or soft; with starch; with starch composed of clustered grains; transparent (semi), or opaque (white); smooth. Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 2 per seed; completely filling testa (no food reserve), or nearly filling testa (trace or scanty food reserve); 1–3 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; peripheral, or axile and centric (axile in Dianthus & Tunica); foliate (assumed); with spatulate cotyledons; arcuate, or annular, or flatly coiled (circinate) (Drypis & Spergula), or straight (Dianthus); transverse to seed length; with cotyledons gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; well developed; 0.4–0.6 times length of embryo; as wide as hypocotyl-radicle, or somewhat to significantly wider than hypocotyl-radicle; 1–2 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle; incumbent to hypocotyl-radicle, or accumbent to hypocotyl-radicle; moderately thick; smooth; with apices entire; with margins separate; basally entire; equal in size; not punctate dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle well developed; not thickened.
Distribution
Cosmopolitan (best in Northern Hemisphere). New World, Old World. North America, Middle America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia Major, Asia Minor, southeastern Asia, Australia, Oceania.
Weed information
1 or more USA Federal noxious weeds, 1 or more USA state noxious weeds.
USA Federal noxious weeds: -- Drymaria arenarioides Humb. & Bonpl. ex Schult.: USA Federal Noxious Weed●; USA state noxious weed: AZ●°, FL●, MA●, NC●, NM●. -- Symbols: ªaquatic weed; ●terrestrial weed; °weed in seed. -- Last updated September 2008.
USA states and territories with listed noxious weeds: Alabama (AL), Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Indiana (IN), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maine (ME), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Mississippi (MS), North Carolina (NC), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New Mexico (NM), New York (NY), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Vermont (VT), West Virginia (WV), Washington (WA), Wisconsin (WI).
USA state and territory noxious weeds: -- Agrostemma githago L.: USA state noxious weed: AL°, AR●°, DE°, FL°, GA°, IN°, KY°, LA°, MA°, MD°, ME°, MS°, NC°, NH°, NJ°, NY°, OH°, OK°, PA°, RI°, SC°, TN°, TX°, VT°, WV°. -- Drymaria arenarioides Humb. & Bonpl. ex Schult.: USA Federal Noxious Weed●; USA state noxious weed: AZ●°, FL●, MA●, NC●, NM●. -- Gypsophila paniculata L.: USA state noxious weed: CA●. -- Lepyrodiclis holosteoides (C. A. Mey.) Fenzl ex Fisch. & C. A. Mey.: USA state noxious weed: WA●°. -- Lychnis alba Mill. (=Silene latifolia subsp. alba (Mill.) Greuter & Burdet): USA state noxious weed: CT°, WA°. -- Lychnis flos-cuculi L. (=Silene flos-cuculi (L.) Greuter & Burdet): USA state noxious weed: CT●.-- Saponaria officinalis L.: USA state noxious weed: CO●°. -- Silene alba (Mill.) E. H. L. Krause (=Silene latifolia subsp. alba (Mill.) Greuter & Burdet): USA state noxious weed: WI°. -- Silene cucubalus Wibel (=Silene vulgaris subsp. vulgaris): USA state noxious weed: WA°. -- Silene latifolia Poir.: USA state noxious weed: WA°. -- Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke: USA state noxious weed: WA°. -- Symbols: ªaquatic weed; ●terrestrial weed; °weed in seed. -- Last updated September 2008.
Listed seeds
ASOA listed seeds, ISTA listed seeds.
ASOA listed seeds: -- Agrostemma githago L. -- Arenaria serpyllifolia L. -- Arenaria L. spp. -- Cerastium biebersteinii DC. -- Cerastium fontanum subsp. vulgare (Hartm.) Greuter & Burdet -- Cerastium glomeratum Thuill. -- Cerastium siculum Guss. -- Cerastium L. spp. -- Cerastium tomentosum L. -- Cerastium viscosum auct. = Cerastium glomeratum Thuill. -- Cerastium vulgatum auct. = Cerastium fontanum subsp. vulgare (Hartm.) Greuter & Burdet -- Dianthus × allwoodii hort. -- Dianthus armeria L. -- Dianthus barbatus L. -- Dianthus caryophyllus L. -- Dianthus chinensis L. -- Dianthus deltoides L. -- Dianthus heddewigii hort. = Dianthus chinensis L. -- Dianthus plumarius L. -- Drymaria arenarioides Humb. & Bonpl. ex Schult. -- Gypsophila elegans M. Bieb. -- Gypsophila muralis L. -- Gypsophila pacifica Kom. -- Gypsophila paniculata L. -- Gypsophila repens L. -- Holosteum umbellatum L. -- Lychnis alba Mill. = Silene latifolia subsp. alba (Mill.) Greuter & Burdet -- Lychnis chalcedonica L. = Silene chalcedonica (L.) E. H. L. Krause -- Lychnis coronaria (L.) Desr. = Silene coronaria (L.) Clairv. -- Lychnis dioica L. = Silene dioica (L.) Clairv. -- Lychnis L. spp. = Silene L. spp. -- Lychnis viscaria L. = Silene viscaria (L.) Jess. -- Sagina subulata (Sw.) C. Presl -- Saponaria ocymoides L. -- Saponaria officinalis L. -- Saponaria L. spp. -- Saponaria vaccaria L. = Vaccaria hispanica (Mill.) Rauschert -- Scleranthus annuus L. -- Silene alba (Mill.) E. H. L. Krause, nom. illeg. = Silene latifolia subsp. alba (Mill.) Greuter & Burdet -- Silene anglica L. = Silene gallica L. -- Silene antirrhina L. -- Silene armeria L. -- Silene chalcedonica (L.) E. H. L. Krause -- Silene coeli-rosa (L.) Godr. -- Silene conica L. -- Silene conoidea L. -- Silene coronaria (L.) Clairv. -- Silene cretica L. -- Silene cserei Baumg. -- Silene cucubalus Wibel, nom. illeg. = Silene vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (Moench) Garcke -- Silene dichotoma Ehrh. -- Silene dioica (L.) Clairv. -- Silene gallica L. -- Silene latifolia subsp. alba (Mill.) Greuter & Burdet -- Silene maritima With. = Silene uniflora Roth -- Silene noctiflora L. -- Silene pendula L. -- Silene pratensis (Rafn) Gren. & Godr. = Silene latifolia subsp. alba (Mill.) Greuter & Burdet -- Silene repens var. latifolia Turcz. -- Silene L. spp. -- Silene uniflora Roth -- Silene viscaria (L.) Jess. -- Silene vulgaris subsp. maritima (With.) A. Love & D. Love = Silene uniflora Roth -- Silene vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (Moench) Garcke -- Spergula arvensis L. -- Spergula maxima Weihe = Spergula arvensis L. -- Spergula pentandra L. -- Spergularia rubra (L.) J. Presl & C. Presl -- Stellaria graminea L. -- Stellaria media (L.) Vill. -- Stellaria L. spp. -- Vaccaria hispanica (Mill.) Rauschert -- Vaccaria pyramidata Medik. = Vaccaria hispanica (Mill.) Rauschert -- Last updated September 2008.
ISTA listed seeds: -- Agrostemma coronaria L. = Lychnis coronaria (L.) Desr. -- Agrostemma githago L.w -- Arenaria serpyllifolia L.w -- Cerastium tomentosum L.f -- Dianthus barbatus L.f -- Dianthus caryophyllus L.f -- Dianthus chinensis L.f -- Dianthus deltoides L.f -- Dianthus plumarius L. f -- Drymaria arenarioides Humb. & Bonpl. ex Schult.w -- Drymaria cordata (L.) Willd. ex Schult.w -- Gypsophila elegans M. Bieb.f -- Gypsophila paniculata L.f -- Gypsophila repens L.f -- Lychnis chalcedonica L. = Silene chalcedonica (L.) E. H. L. Krause-- Lychnis coronaria (L.) Desr. = Silene coronaria (L.) Clairv.-- Melandrium album (Mill.) Garcke included in Silene latifolia Poir. -- Myosoton aquaticum (L.) Moenchw -- Saponaria calabrica Guss.f -- Saponaria ocymoides L.f -- Saponaria officinalis L.f -- Saponaria vaccaria L. = Vaccaria hispanica (Mill.) Rauschert -- Scleranthus annuus L.w -- Silene acaulis (L.) Jacq. -- Silene alba (Mill.) E. H. L. Krause, non Muhlenb. ex Britton included in Silene latifolia Poir.-- Silene antirrhina L.w -- Silene chalcedonica (L.) E. H. L. Krausef -- Silene coeli-rosa (L.) Godr. -- Silene coronaria (L.) Clairv.f -- Silene dichotoma Ehrh.w -- Silene gallica L.w -- Silene latifolia Poir. -- Silene maritima With. = Silene uniflora Roth -- Silene noctiflora L.w -- Silene pendula L.f -- Vaccaria pyramidata Medik. = Vaccaria hispanica (Mill.) Rauschert -- Silene uniflora Roth -- Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garckew -- Spergula arvensis L.a -- Stellaria graminea L.w -- Stellaria media (L.) Vill.w -- Vaccaria hispanica (Mill.) Rauschertf -- Symbols: aagricultural and vegetable seeds (Table 2A Part 1); ttree and shrub species (Table 2A Part 2); fflower, spice, herb, and medicinal seeds (Table 2A Part 3); wweed seeds. -- Last updated September 2008.
Accepted genera
Acanthophyllum C. A. Mey. -- Achyronychia Torr. & A. Gray -- Agrostemma L. -- Allochrusa Bunge ex Boiss. -- Alsinidendron H. Mann -- Ankyropetalum Fenzl -- Arenaria L. -- Bolanthus (Ser.) Rchb. -- Bolbosaponaria Bondarenko -- Brachystemma D. Don -- Bufonia L. -- Cardionema DC. -- Cerastium L. -- Cerdia DC. -- Colobanthus Bartl. -- Cometes L. -- Cucubalus L. -- Cyathophylla Bocquet & Strid -- Dianthus L. -- Diaphanoptera Rech. f. -- Dicheranthus Webb -- Drymaria Willd. ex Schult. -- Drypis L. -- Geocarpon Mack. -- Gymnocarpos Forssk. -- Gypsophila L. -- Habrosia Fenzl -- Haya Balf. f. -- Herniaria L. -- Holosteum L. -- Honckenya Ehrh. -- Illecebrum L. -- Kabulia Bor & C. E. C. Fisch. -- Krauseola Pax & K. Hoffm. -- Kuhitangia Ovcz. -- Lepyrodiclis Fenzl -- Loeflingia L. -- Lychnis L. -- Mesostemma Vved. -- Microphyes Phil. -- Minuartia L. -- Moehringia L. -- Moenchia Ehrh., nom. cons. -- Myosoton Moench -- Ochotonophila Gilli -- Ortegia L. -- Paronychia Mill. -- Pentastemonodiscus Rech. f. -- Petrocoptis A. Braun ex Endl. -- Petrorhagia (Ser.) Link -- Philippiella Speg. -- Phrynella Pax & K. Hoffm. -- Pinosia Urb. -- Pirinia M. Král -- Pleioneura Rech. f. -- Plettkea Mattf. -- Pollichia Aiton, nom. cons. -- Polycarpaea Lam., nom. cons. -- Polycarpon Loefl. ex L. -- Polytepalum Suess. & Beyerle -- Pseudostellaria Pax -- Pteranthus Forssk. -- Pycnophyllopsis Skottsb. -- Pycnophyllum J. Rémy -- Reicheella Pax -- Sagina L. -- Sanctambrosia Skottsb. ex Kuschel -- Saponaria L. -- Schiedea Cham. & Schltdl. -- Scleranthopsis Rech. f. -- Scleranthus L. -- Sclerocephalus Boiss. -- Scopulophila M. E. Jones -- Selleola Urb. -- Silene L., nom. cons. -- Spergula L. -- Spergularia (Pers.) J. Presl & C. Presl, nom. cons. -- Sphaerocoma T. Anderson -- Stellaria L. -- Stipulicida Michx. -- Thurya Boiss. & Balansa -- Thylacospermum Fenzl -- Uebelinia Hochst. -- Vaccaria Wolf -- Velezia L. -- Wilhelmsia Rchb. -- Xerotia Oliv.
References specific to this family
Cronquist page 272.
General references
Corner, E.J.H. 1976. The seeds of Dicots, esp. vol. 2. Cambridge University Press, New York, Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, Gaertner, J. 1788–1805. De fructibus et seminibus plantarum. The Author, Stuttgart, Goldberg, A. 1986 (dicots) and 1989 (monocots). Classification, evolution, and phylogeny of the familes of Dicotyledons. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 58 for dicots (314 pp.) and 71 for monocots (74 pp.). [Goldberg's illustrations are reproduced from older publications and these should be consulted], Gray, A. 1848. Genera florae Americae boreali-orientalis illustrata, 2 vols. James Munroe and Co., Boston., Gunn, C.R. and C.A. Ritchie. 1988. Identification of disseminules listed in the Federal Noxious Weed Act. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1719:1–313, Gunn, C.R., J.H. Wiersema, C.A. Ritchie, and J.H. Kirkbride, Jr. 1992 and amendments. Families and genera of Spermatophytes recognized by the Agricultural Research Service. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1796:1–500, Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Martin, A.C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 36:513–660, Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182.
Illustrations
Poor fruit and acceptable seed illustrations. Disseminule illustration(s): fruit, or seed, or embryo. Fruit illustration(s): LeMaout & Decaisne, Cronquist, Gray. Seed illustration(s): LeMaout & Decaisne, Cronquist, Gray, Gunn & Ritchie. Embryo illustration(s): Martin, Gray, LeMaout & Decaisne, Gunn & Ritchie.
• Seed. 1 of 16. Cerastium tomentosum L.: seeds. • Fruit. 2 of 16. Dianthus balbisii Ser.: fruiting head. • Seed. 3 of 16. Dianthus balbisii Ser.: seeds. • Fruit and seed. 4 of 16. Drymaria cordata (L.) Willd. ex Schult.: fruit and seeds. • Seed. 5 of 16. Drymaria cordata (L.) Willd. ex Schult.: seeds. • Seed. 6 of 16. Gypsophila elegans M. Bieb.: seeds. • Seed. 7 of 16. Saponaria officinalis L.: seeds. • Fruit. 8 of 16. Silene noctiflora L.: dehisced fruit with calyx. • Seed. 9 of 16. Silene noctiflora L.: seeds. • Seed. 10 of 16. Stellaria holostea L.: seeds. • Embryo. 11 of 16. Cerastium indicum Wight & Arn.: embryo. • Embryo. 12 of 16. Drymaria arenarioides Humb. & Bonpl. ex Schult.: embryo. • Embryo. 13 of 16. Drymaria cordata (L.) Willd. ex Schult.: embryo. • Embryo. 14 of 16. Polycarpon prostratum (Forssk.) Asch. & Schwf.: embryo. • Embryo. 15 of 16. Sagina japonica (Sw.) Ohwi: embryo. • Embryo. 16 of 16. Silene rubella L.: embryo.
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘J.H. Kirkbride, Jr., C.R. Gunn, and M.J. Dallwitz. 2000 onwards. Family guide for fruits and seeds: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Version: 12th April 2021. delta-intkey.com’.
