Caryophyllaceae

plural noun

Car·​y·​o·​phyl·​la·​ce·​ae

¦karē(ˌ)ōfə̇ˈlāsēˌē

: a large widely distributed family of herbs or occasionally subshrubs (order Caryophyllales) usually with stems swollen at the nodes and opposite linear leaves and with symmetrical pentamerous or tetramerous flowers that have distinct stamens as numerous or twice as numerous as the sepals

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Caryophyllus entry 2, type genus + -aceae

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