Caryophyllaceae Pink Family
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Caryophyllaceae pink family A wide-ranging family, there are nearly 2000 herbaceous annuals or perennials included within. They are Page | 418 typified by the opposite or whorled leaves and swollen leaf nodes. Generally the flowers are perfect and often the corolla has five petals which may be cleft. The calyx has five sepals; there are 10 stamens. Fruit is a dry capsule. Numerous ornamentals are derived from the family; many have been planted in Nova Scotia. Some thrive without cultivation becoming weedy in disturbed soils and others naturalize, but only for a short while. Key to genera A. Stipules present, dry, scarious, not green. B B. Leaves linear; styles and valves of the capsule 3; flowers white or pink. Spergularia bb. Leaves filiform, whorled; styles and valves 5; flowers white. Spergula aa. Stipules absent. C C. Petals absent; fruit with a single seed. Scleranthus cc. Petals usually present; capsules with few to many seeds. D D. Plants small and often prostrate; flowers <1cm wide; sepals separate. E E. Capsule cylindrical, slightly curved, opening by a row Cerastium of small teeth at the summit; plants pubescent. ee. Capsule oval or oblong; splitting into valves; plants smooth, or F with merely a row of hairs down the stem. F. Leaves filiform; plant tufted; petals shorter than the Sagina sepals; styles 4–5. ff. Leaves not filiform; plant erect; petals exceeding G sepals; styles 3. G. Petals cleft or absent; stems soft, Stellaria quadrangled, diffusely spreading. gg. Petals not cleft; stems round, wiry H and usually erect. H. Plant fleshy, maritime. Honckenya hh. Plant not fleshy nor I restricted to saline habitats. I. Leaves linear to Minuartia setaceous; capsule with 3 teeth. ii. Leaves ovate, J elliptical or lanceolate; capsule with >3 teeth. J. Leaves <8mm long; annual. Arenaria 3-20 Caryophyllaceae jj. Leaves >8mm long; perennial. Moehringia dd. Plants large, erect; sepals united, forming tubular calyx; flowers K >1cm wide. K. Calyx subtended by an involucre. Dianthus kk. Calyx without an involucre. L Page | 419 L.Styles 3 or 5. M M. Calyx lobes exceeding the tube; petals Agrostemma without appendages. mm. Calyx lobes much shorter than the N tube; petals with appendages. N. Capsule with 5 teeth; styles 5; Lychnis flowers perfect. nn. Capsule with twice the number Silene of teeth as styles; both staminate and pistillate flowers present. ll. Styles 2. O O. Petals with claw and blade, Saponaria appendages conspicuous; calyx with 20 veins. oo. Petals without appendages; calyx Vaccaria with 5 veins. Agrostemma L. Corn-cockle Comprised of only two Eurasian annuals, one has been introduced into Nova Scotia. Formerly a contaminant in crop now seen in wildflower seed mixtures, although not persisting in native habitats. The calyx-lobes greatly exceed the length of the calyx-tube, which is also coarsely ribbed. Corollas are five-merous; stamens 10. Capsule is dehiscent and contains five valves. Agrostemma githago L. Corn-cockle, nielle des blés Reaching upwards of 1m, plant has few branches. Leaves are narrowly lanceolate. Flowers are solitary and showy, ranging from magenta to purple. Calyx-lobes are longer than the petals and sepals are covered in white tomentum. Flowers from June to September. 3-20 Caryophyllaceae Habitat seems to be grain fields, roadsides and meadows planted with flower seed mixtures. Becoming infrequent over time as seed used is cleaner. Sporadically reported and seen on Brier Island. Collected from Kings and Cumberland counties. Page | 420 Widely established on the continent. Introduced from Europe. Arenaria L. Sandworts Diffuse, herbaceous plants, the sandworts have weak stems and opposite sessile leaves. Plants are often puberulent. Small white flowers are pedicellate, arranged in small bracteate panicles. Sepals are separate and acuminate, five, subtending five shorter, entire petals. Stamens 10, styles half as many. Fruit is a capsule containing many seeds, exceeding the length of the sepals and dehiscent by six teeth. Arenaria serpyllifolia L. Thyme-leaved Sandwort; sabline à feuilles de serpolet A delicate plant with acute, ovate leaves. The inflorescence is widely diffuse; the flowers arise halfway along the height of the plant. May flower as early as April, until August. Photo by Sean Blaney Frequently found in compact sterile soils, as along roadsides and oldfields. Kings and Hants counties, especially along the railways. Also reported from Summerville, Queens Co. Introduced to most of the continent; a native of Eurasia. 3-20 Caryophyllaceae Cerastium L chickweeds Annual or perennial, all 100 species of this genus are herbaceous. They are typified by their opposite pairs of small leaves. Stipules are absent. Flowers have bilobed petals. Ours are generally of disturbed Page | 421 soils, such as lawns, roadsides, meadows. All are introduced or adventive from Eurasia. Key to species A. Plants perennial. B B. Plants densely white-tomentose. Cerastium tomentosum bb. Plants green, smooth or pubescent. C C. Petals equal to or shorter than the sepals. C. fontanum cc. Petals 10mm long, much-exceeding the sepals and C. arvense showy; mat forming. aa. Plants annual. D. Petals equal to or longer than the sepals; cleft 1–1.5mm. C. pumilum dd. Petals shorter than the sepals, divided less than 1mm. C. semidecandrum Cerastium arvense L. Field Chickweed; céraiste des champs A more compact plant than the next species, it rarely reaches 40cm. Its leaves are lanceolate with small leafy branches arising from the axils. Petals greatly exceed the length of the sepals. Smooth to pubescent eglandular plants belong to ssp. arvense while ssp. trictum (L) Ugborogho includes small plants covered with glandular pubescence. This western variety has been collected from Blomidon and St. Paul Island. Not reported since the 1950s. Photo by Ross Hall Early-flowering, in June. Fields and roadsides. Scattered and locally abundant, Port Williams and Canard, Kings Co. and Truro. Uncommon from Lunenburg to Cumberland, Pictou and Antigonish counties. Widespread throughout the northern hemisphere. 3-20 Caryophyllaceae Cerastium fontanum Baumg. (C. vulgatum L.) Mouse-ear Chickweed; céraiste des fontaines Robust and sprawling the plant may reach 60cm in height, Page | 422 or length. Plants are covered with coarse pubescence and may be freely branched from the base. Leaves are oblong or ovate, pubescent on both surfaces. Our material is included as ssp. vulgare (Hartm.) Greuter & Burdet. Flowers are not showy; the sepals and petals are of equal lengths. May until frost. Photo by Martin Thomas Compacted soils, especially on moist lawns and other arable land. Common through NS and temperate North America. Photo by Martin Thomas Cerastium pumilum W. Curtis céraiste nain This is a compact plant with small leaves similar to the next species, but without the stickiness. The bracts subtending the inflorescence have inconspicuous scarious margins. Petals may slightly exceed the sepals. Seeds are papillose. Early-flowering. Photo by Sean Blaney 3-20 Caryophyllaceae Disturbed and compacted soils. Known from several parks and campgrounds of Shelburne, Annapolis and Yarmouth counties. Page | 423 Ranges from NS to ON, variously south to TX; BC. Probably overlooked. Photo by Martin Thomas Cerastium semidecandrum L. céraiste à cinq étamines An annual species, it is viscid in texture and pubescent. Plants are compact and less than 20cm in height. Small leaves are oblanceolate at the base of the plant, while the cauline leaves are ovate. Pedicels are longer than the sepals, nodding in fruit. The acuminate bracts have conspicuous, scarious margins. Seeds are not papillose. Disturbed and compacted soil, as at campgrounds. Cape Breton Highlands National Park, at Corney Brook and Broad Cove; Islands Provincial Park, Shelburne Co. and at 3-20 Caryophyllaceae Ellenwood Provincial Park, Yarmouth Co. NS and NB; ON south to NE, LA and FL; west coast. Page | 424 Cerastium tomentosum L. Snow-in-Summer; céraiste tomenteux A distinctive persistent annual, it is distinguished by the presence of large showy white flowers and the copious covering of twisted white tomentum. The petals are cleft at least a third of their length. Flowers June to August. Frequently persisting after cultivation as a rock garden plant. To be expected throughout the province. Collections exist from most mainland counties. Ranges from NF to MB; BC, variously south to UT and NC. Photos by Martin Thomas Introduced as a garden perennial. Dianthus L. Pinks A genus of Eurasia, there are about 300 species in total. Typically, they bear solitary red, pink or white flowers, or crownlike cymes. Calyx is veined with at least 20 markings, subtended by 1–3 bracts. Petals may be notched, but have no appendages. Fruit is a capsule, dehiscing by three valves. Many are ornamentals and several are established as escapes. 3-20 Caryophyllaceae Key to species Plants perennial; flowers solitary on long pedicels, subtended by Dianthus deltoides 2 ovate bracts, < half as long as the calyx. Plants annual; flowers tightly clustered in terminal cymes, subtended D. armeria by numerous pubescent bracts, equal in length to the calyx. Page | 425 Dianthus armeria L. Deptford Pink; oeillet arméria A lightly pubescent plant this species may reach 60cm in height. Leaves are linear or lanceolate. Flowers are tightly clustered, 3–9 in the inflorescence, subtended by long stiff bracts which may extend beyond the calyx. Petals range from pink to purple. Photo by David Mazerolle May to July. Dry fields, roadsides as an escape. Scattered from Sandy Cove, Digby Co. and throughout the Annapolis Valley. Infrequent elsewhere. NS to BC, south to CA and FL. Absent from the prairie provinces. Photo by Martin Thomas Dianthus deltoides L. Maiden Pink; oeillet à delta Solitary flowers are borne on slender pedicels, 1–4cm long. Involucral bracts are acuminate and ovate, shorter than the calyx. Flowers from May to August. Roadsides, meadows, fields and edges where soil is dry or stony. Photo by Martin Thomas 3-20 Caryophyllaceae Uncommon and often overlooked.