CARYOPHYLLEI, in botany, the name of a very numerous family, or order, in Linnaeus's fragments of a natural method: containing, besides the class of the same name in Tournefort, many other plants, which from their general appearance seem pretty nearly allied to it. The following are the genera, viz. Agrostema, Cucubalus, Dianthus, Drypis, Gypsophila, Lychnis, Saponaria, Silene, Velazia, Alpine, Arenaria, Bifonia, Cerastium, Cherleria, Glinus, Holostemum, Loeslingia, Mochringia, Polycarpon, Sagina, Spergula, Stellaria, Minuartia, Mollugo, Ortegia, Pharnaceum, Queraria. To this order, some have also annexed, though somewhat improperly, the Polypremum and Scleranthus. All the plants of this order are herbaceous, and mostly annual. Some of the creeping kinds do not rise an inch, and the tallest exceed not seven or eight feet. See BOTANY, sect. vi. 22.