Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae: Caryophyllales

Caryophyllaceae - Chickweed family

Illecebraceae

Wild, H. (1960-1) Caryophyllaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(2)

Description of the family

Annual or perennial herbs. Stipules present (wholly or partly scarious) or 0. Leaves simple, usually opposite and decussate, rarely whorled, entire. Flowers in cymes, usually in dichasia, sometimes in cymose clusters, rarely solitary, usually bisexual, actinomorphic. Sepals 4-5, free or fused. Petals usually 4-5, sometimes 0, often 2-fid, free. Stamens 8-10. Styles 2-5. Ovary superior. Fruit a many-seeded capsule.

Worldwide: 87 genera and 2,300 species, cosmopolitan, but especially temperate and warm northern hemisphere.

Malawi: 6 genera and 9 taxa.

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Links to genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Cerastium L.Description
Drymaria Willd. ex Schult.Description
Polycarpaea Lam.Description
Polycarpon Loefl. ex L.Description
Silene L.Description
Stellaria L.Description

Other sources of information about Caryophyllaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Burundi: Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Caprivi: Caryophyllaceae
Flora of the DRC: Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Rwanda: Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Zambia: Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Caryophyllaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Caryophyllaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Caryophyllaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Caryophyllaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Caryophyllaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Caryophyllaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Caryophyllaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Caryophyllaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Caryophyllaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Caryophyllaceae
Wikipedia: Caryophyllaceae
Plants of the World Online: Caryophyllaceae
Tropicos: Caryophyllaceae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Family page: Caryophyllaceae.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/family.php?family_id=50, retrieved 11 October 2024

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