22. Caryophyllaceae

I mentioned chickweed (Stellaria media) earlier in this blog when I recalled removing the low-growing weed from around the stems of Hosta (which is a member of the Asparagaceae family). For better or for worse, chickweed is the one member of the Caryophyllaceae family that has made the greatest impression on me.

I think we can all agree that Caryophyllaceae is a mouthful.

But wait, this family is also known as the carnation family, so of course that is the best known of the over two thousand species and 86 genera of what are mainly different kinds of chickweed. There are also pinks (one of which is the carnation), sandworts, pearlworts, strapworts, ruptureworts, soapworts, corncockles, campions, catchflies, spurreys and sea-spurreys, among others. 

Common chickweed also goes by the name chickenwort.