* Caryophyllaceae is also known as pink family. Members of this family are well known for ornamental purposes. * This family is well represented in the British Flora and many species are cultivated as ornamental garden flowers. * The members of this family are commonly found in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. *Reference - Taxonomy of Angiosperms - Dr. B. P. Pandey

1. CARYOPHYLLACEAE
FAMILY
Dianthus
Githogo
Stellaria
Gypsophila
Silene

2. Systematic Position
• Kingdom - Phanerogams
• Class - Dicotyledones
• Sub-class - Polypetalae
• Series - Thalamiflorae
• Order - Caryophyllinae
• Family - Caryophyllaceae
(Bentham & Hooker classification, 1862)

3. Systematic Relationships
 The taxonomists have presented many views for the evolution of
Caryophyllaceae.
 According to Eichler (1878) the family has been originated from the
Phytolaccaceae by conversion of the outer whorl of stamens to petals and outer
whorl of carpels to stamens. Pax, Wettstein and Rendle have also accepted this
view in principle.
 Wernham (1911) proposed that the family has been evolved from ranalian
ancestors and to have been the source of origin for the Primulaceae and other
such reduced families, e.g., Amaranthaceae and Chenopodiaceae. This view has
been accepted by Bessey, Hutchinson and others.
 According to Dickson (1936) the family has been derived from the Geraniaceae.
Thompson did not agree with this view.
The view proposed by Wernham, seems more correct in tracing the probable
origin and the systematic relationships of the family.

4. Diagnostic Features
 Caryophyllaceous stomata (Diacytic)
 Flower - Hypogynous, bisexual, cyclic
 Syncarpous, Free-central placentation
 Campylotropous ovule
 Stamens mostly definite in number
 Endosperm copious
 Curved embryo

5. Distribution
 There are about 80 genera and 2100 species in this family.
 There are about 500 species in the genus Silene of this family, which is
supposed to be the largest genus; Dianthus contains 350 species and Stellaria
about 100 species.
 The members of this family are commonly found in the temperate regions of
the Northern Hemisphere.
 Certain genera are found in the Southern Hemisphere and few are found in the
mountains of tropical regions.
 In our country the plants of this family are either found in the hilly tracts or
they grow in the plains during winter season, e.g., Stellaria, Spergula, Dianthus,
etc.
 The family is well represented in the British Flora and many species are
cultivated as ornamental garden flowers.

6. Vegetative characters
 Leaves - The leaves are simple, opposite, entire and exstipulate.
The leaves sometimes possess shortly connate perfoliate base,
e.g., Dianthus. They are linear to lanceolate in shape. The
development of the leaves is unusual. At each node one leaf
develops earlier than the other. This leaf bears in its axil a more
vigorous bud than on the other side and frequently it is only this
bud which develops later.
The chief anatomical feature is the presence of
caryophyllaceous type of stomata. Each such possess two subsidiary
cells placed at the right angles to the guard cells. (Diacytic stomata)
 Habit - Most of them are annual, while some of them are perennial herbs. Certain
small shrubs e.g., some species of Acanthophyllum are also found in the warmer parts
of the world.
 Stem - The stem is erect, branched, green, herbaceous, solid and mostly swollen at
the nodes.

7. Floral characters
• Flowers - Flowers are pedicellate, actinomorphic, usually hermaphrodite
and pentamerous, but rarely unisexual and tetramerous. They are
regular, complete and hypogynous.
 Each typical flower bears five whorls, each consisting of five members
such as, five sepals & petals, two pentamerous whorls of stamens, five
carpels & styles and double rows of ovules. Sometimes five partition
walls in the basal part of the ovary.
• Calyx - It is composed of five and very rarely of four sepals. The sepals
may be free or united together into a tube. They are usually persistent
with membranous margins. Aestivation is imbricate (quincuncial).
• Inflorescence - The inflorescence is cymose. It is dichasium which
later becomes dichasial cyme ends in a monochasial cyme
(Cincinnus inflorescence) which is characteristic of this family. In
some cases flowers are arranged in racemes. In genera, e.g.,
Arenaria, Githago, etc., the flowers are solitary.

8. • Corolla - It is composed of five and very rarely of four petals.
Petals are free (polypetalous). Petals are mostly notched,
sometimes bifid, e.g., Stellaria media. Usually aestivation is
imbricate.
• Androecium - Usually it consists of ten stamens. Sometimes
stamens are reduced in numbers. They are polyandrous,
obdiplostemonous i.e., stamens are arranged in two whorls
of five each, stamens of outer whorl are seen to be opposite
the petals and inner whorl alternating the petals.
 Stamens are hypogynous and occasionally perigynous.
Anthers are two-lobed and dehisce longitudinally. Sometimes
petaloid stamens are present. In Spergula, five or ten
stamens are arranged on a perigynous disc.

9. • Fruit - Fruit is unilocular capsule, e.g., Stellaria, Arenaria, Spergula,
etc. in some cases fruit may be achene or nut, e.g., Herniaria,
Dysphania, Scleranthus, etc.
• Seeds - Seeds are small, endospermic. Embryo is curved in
endosperm. Sometimes funicle is conspicuous. They are dispersed
by censor mechanism.
• Pollination - Takes place by means of insects (Entomophily).
• Gynoecium - It consists two or five carpels; syncarpous.
Ovary superior, free styles and many campylotropous
ovules arranged on central column. Free-central
placentation. Number of carpels corresponds to number
of styles and stigmas. In Stellaria, the carpels are
reduced to three.

10. Botanical description of
Stellaria media Linn.
• Kingdom - Phanerogams
• Class - Dicotyledones
• Sub-class - Polypetalae
• Series - Thalamiflorae
• Order - Caryophyllinae
• Family - Caryophyllaceae
• Genus - Stellaria
• Species - media Linn.

11. Vegetative characters
 Habit - An annual herb, weed, six inches to two feet
high.
 Root - Tap and branched.
 Stem - Erect, aerial, herbaceous, cylindrical, branched,
green, glabrous, solid, nodes swollen.
 Leaves - Cauline and ramal, simple, opposite decussate,
exstipulate,
1
2
to 1 inch long, lower petiolate, upper
sessile, entire, ovate, acuminate, smooth, unicostate
reticulate venation.

12. Floral characters
• Inflorescence - Cymose, axillary dichasial or terminal cyme.
• Flowers - Minute, pedicellate, bracteate, bracteolate (two bracteoles),
hermaphrodite, complete, actinomorphic, hypogynous, pentamerous, cyclic.
• Calyx - Five sepals, polysepalous, hairy, glandular, obtuse or sub-acute, inferior,
quincuncial aestivation.
• Corolla - Five petals, polypetalous, petals shorter than sepals, deeply bilobed,
inferior, imbricate aestivation, white.
• Androecium - Ten stamens, arranged in two whorls of five each, polyandrous,
obdiplostemonous, generally outer three or all five stamens reduced to staminodes,
filaments long and slender, dithecous, basifixed, introrse.
• Gynoecium - Three carpels, syncarpous, ovary superior, unilocular, free-central
placentation, styles three, each with its own stigma.
• Fruit - An unilocular capsule.

13. Botanical Description of
Stellaria media

14. Economic Importance of Family
 Dianthus barbatus; (Eng-Sweet William) – An annual herb, grown
in the gardens as an ornamental.
 Dianthus caryophyllatus; (Eng-Carnation) – It is grown as an
ornamental plant.
 Dianthus chinensis; Syn. D. sinensis; (Eng-Rainbow pink) – This is
an ornamental annual herb.
 Arenaria sp.– It is grown as an ornamental plant.
 Saponaria vaccaria; (Eng-Cow herb) – This is an ornamental herb,
found throughout India. The plant juice is used as a substitute of
soap.
 Spergula arvensis – It is a common winter season weed. In
Europe, it is used as fodder. It is diuretic.
Saponaria

15.  Stellaria aquatica; (Eng-Chick weed) – The shoots are eaten as vegetable.
 Gypsophila sp. – An extremely ornamental plant.
 Lychnis coronaria – In Spain, the decoction of roots is used medicinally for the
treatment of lung and liver diseases.
 Silene armeria; (Eng-Sweet William catchfly) – This plant is native of South
Europe. This is an annual herb, grown as an ornamental.
 Cerastium sp. – This is an ornamental plant.
Silene
Spergula
Dianthus
Gypsophila

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