Table 1. The traditional view of evolutionary trends in fruit and seed structure in the Caryophyllaceae (after Devyatov and Ermilova, 2002).

Initial characters	Possible intermediate positions	Final characters
Perianth (calyx) without hypanthium; fruit a capsule; syncarpous gynoecium (with septa between the locules); pericarp with well-expressed topographical zones; ovules numerous; seedcoat testa sculptured	Septa abrupt; gynoecium lysicarp (with one central column having numerous seeds)	Hypanthium present; column abortive; gynoecium pseudomonomerous; fruit dry, one-seeded, indehiscent; pericarp reduced to 1–2 undifferentiated parenchymatous cell layers; ovule single with basal placentation due to disappearence of central column; seedcoat testa without prominent sculpture