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Members of the Caryophyllaceae have opposite narrow leaves, swollen nodes, and bilobed or fringed ("pinked") petals. This family is worldwide in distribution but is most abundant in the Northern Hemisphere and centered in distribution around the Mediterranean. The species are all annual or perennial herbs and include many garden ornamentals such as Dianthus (carnations, pinks), Gypsophila (baby's-breath), Lychnis (rose campion), and Arenaria (sandwort), as well as some widespread weeds such as Stellaria (chickweed) and Cerastium (field chickweed). Many genera of Caryophyllaceae are common in western Washington; the following represent only a few.

(Click on a picture to see more about that species)

	.	.
Arenaria sp.	Cerastium viscosum	Cerastium vulgatum	Moehringia macrophylla
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Silene alba	Stellaria media	.	.