Caryophyllaceae

Polycarpon Loefl.

First published in C.Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10. 2: 881, 1360 (1759)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is California to NW. Mexico, E. Colombia to Venezuela, Paraguay to NE. Argentina, Europe to Sri Lanka, Macaronesia to N. & NE. Tropical Africa, Arabian Peninsula.

Descriptions

Caryophyllaceae, W. B. Turrill. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1956

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves often apparently verticillate and with membranous stipules
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, in cymes terminating the numerous branches
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals keeled
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals up to 5, entire or emarginate, shorter than the sepals
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3–5
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary unilocular, with numerous ovules; style with three stigmatic branches
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 3-valved.
[FTEA]

Caryophyllaceae, H. Wild. Flora Zambesiaca 1:2. 1961

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite, often in false whorls; stipules membranous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small in axillary or terminal cymes; bracts membranous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5, with a broad green keel and membranous margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals up to 5, or occasionally absent, entire or emarginate, much shorter than the sepals.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3–5.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 1-locular, multiovulate; style short with 3 stigmatic arms.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 3-valved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds many.
[FZ]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual to perennial herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or seemingly in whorls of 4; stipules scarious
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Flowers 5-merous in cymose clusters; bracts scarious
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals free, keeled, with scarious margins, ± hooded and acute-mucronate at the tip
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals up to 5, short
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary with many ovules; style 3-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a capsule, dehiscing by 3 valves that elastically roll inwards and finally throw out the seeds
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ± ovoid.
Distribution
Genus of maybe eight species, almost cosmopolitan.
[FSOM]

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2016) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 1: Elatinaceae to Sphenocleaceae.

Morphology General Habit
Low annual or perennial herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves obovate or oblong, opposite or whroled
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules scarious
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence compound cyme
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts scarious
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5, free, keeled
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3–5, inserted on a perigynous disk
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style solitary, obscurely 3-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 3-valved, dehiscing to base.
Distribution
Eighteen species; two in Iraq.
[FIQ]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. (Eds). (2013-2019). Flora of Iraq, Volumes 5.1, 5.2 and 6.0. Kew Publishing
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0