Caryophyllaceae, Juss.

Fonseca-Cortés, Andrés & Sandoval-Ortega, Manuel Higinio, 2022, Polycarpon tetraphyllum (Caryophyllaceae) a new record for the Colombian flora and a key to the genera of the Caryophyllaceae from Colombia, Phytotaxa 533 (1), pp. 105-110 : 107-108

Proposed key to the genera of the Caryophyllaceae from Colombia: ―It follows:

1. Fruits utricles; ovary with one ovule ..................................................................................................................................................2

- Fruits capsules; ovary with more than one ovule ...............................................................................................................................4

2. Leaf blades needlelike, apex sharply pungent; seeds narrowly ovate ................................... Cardionema Candolle (1828: 372-373)

- Leaf blades linear, elliptic, subulate, oblanceolate or spatulate, apex obtuse, acuminate; seeds subglobose to ellipsoid, laterally compressed .........................................................................................................................................................................................3

3. Stipules absent; fruit enclosed by a persistent, indurate, sepal-crowned hypanthium ................. Scleranthus Linnaeus (1753: 406)

- Stipules present; fruit not enclosed by the hypanthium.............................................................................. Paronychia Miller (1754)

4. Stipules absent ....................................................................................................................................................................................5

- Stipules present.................................................................................................................................................................................12

5. Sepals connate, forming a tube...........................................................................................................................................................6

- Sepals free or fused in the base ..........................................................................................................................................................8

6. Each petaloid staminode with two linear auricles; styles 3–5................................................................ Silene Linnaeus (1753: 416)

- Petaloid staminodes without auricles; styles 2–3 ...............................................................................................................................7

7. Bracteoles 1–3 pairs; calyx lobes shorter than the tube; capsules oppening by apical teeth.............. Dianthus Linnaeus (1753: 409)

- Bracteoles absent; calyx lobes equal or longer than the tube; capsules opening by valves ........... Gypsophila Linnaeus (1753: 406)

8. Flowers terminal, solitary; petaloid staminodes absent................................................................. Colobanthus Bartling (1830: 305)

- Flowers in terminal cymes or axillary solitary flowers; petaloid staminodes present .......................................................................9

9. Petaloid staminodes emarginate or bifid ..........................................................................................................................................10

- Petaloid staminodes entire................................................................................................................................................................11

10. Capsule longer than sepals, opening by 6–10 apical teeth, stamens 10 .............................................................................. Cerastium

- Capsule equaling or slightly longer than sepals, opening by 3 or 6 valves, stamens (3–)5(–10)....... Stellaria Linnaeus (1753: 421)

11. Styles 3; capsules opening by 6 valves or apical teeth.......................................................................................................... Arenaria

- Styles 4–5; capsules opening by 4–5 valves.......................................................................................... Sagina Linnaeus (1753: 128)

12. Leaves petiolate, leaf blades ovate, elliptic, oblanceolate, orbiculate, reniform or spatulate ..........................................................13

- Leaves sessile, leaf blades linear......................................................................................................................................................14

13. Sepals keeled; petaloid staminodes with the apex entire or slightly emarginate............................................................... Polycarpon

- Sepals without keel; petaloid staminodes bifid or with the apex with 4-8 lobes ................................................................................. ................................................................................................ Drymaria Willdenow ex Schultes (in Roemer & Schultes 1819: 406)

14. Styles 3; capsule opening by three valves ............................................... Spergularia ( Persoon 1805: 504) Presl & Presl (1819: 94)

- Styles 5; capsule opening by five valves............................................................................................ Spergula Linnaeus (1753: 440)