CAR'YOPHYLLA'CRZE (Xeo-Lat. nom. pl., from ('aryophyllus, from Gk. Kapvov, karyon, nut OtAXov, phyllon, leaf). An order of dicotyle donous plants, containing about 60 genera and 1300 species, mostly herbaceous plants, a few half shrubby. The steins are often tumid at the articulations: the leaves always opposite and entire. often uniting around the stem. The flowers are regular: the calyx persistent. of 4 to .5 sepals, either free or united into a tube: the eo•olla of 4 to 5 petals, which are frequently NMI, and generally terminate in a claw at the Inse, sometimes wanting: the stamens as many, or twice as many, as the petals: the ovary of 2 to 5 carpels: the styles are stigmatic along 'the inside: the fruit is a one-celled capsule. with central placenta, to which the seed,: are attached. The plants of this order are mostly natives of temperate and cold countries; some of them are only found on mountains. near the
limits of perpetual snow. Some of them are ih•onspienons woods, some showy dowers; al most all are insipid and inert: a few contain saponine, and afford a substitute for (See So_Newonr.) To this order belong the pink. car nation, sweet-william. lyelmis, and chickweed (qq.v.).
This order very naturally divides into two dis tinct groups which differ biologically and mot.
phologically, the Silenoidea and Alsinoidefe. In the first the flowers are gamosepalous, in the other they have distinct sepals, and the stamens are often perigynous. The chief genera of the first group are Silow, Lychnis. Gypsophila, and Dianthus, while of the second Stellaria, Cents tium, Arenaria, Spergula, Paronyehia, and Scieranthus are the best known.