The family Caryophyllaceae includes about 85 genera and some 3000 species. Despite much interest in the relationship of the family within the order Caryophyllales and the core eudicots, only a few phylogenetic investigations of relationships within the Caryophyllaceae have been initiated. The current subfamily classification is based on morphological characters which may be highly "labile" or homoplastic, such as type of locule dehiscence. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in the family at several levels. Researchers using both morphology and molecular data are now looking at both delimitation of large genera and relationships within the family. A number of species in the family have historically been, and continue to be, used as model systems for investigating the genetic basis of a variety of traits and evolutionary processes. This colloquium brings together researchers from North America and Europe to report on their recent findings, foster collaboration, and discuss questions about classification and evolution within the family Caryophyllaceae. Are there three, four or five subfamilies and how can they be recognized? Can large, polyphyletic genera be split logically based on morphological and molecular criteria? Are there additional areas of the family sorely in need of further work? Can phylogenetic and population studies be better integrated to reflect the explosion in data on both sides? The first talks will provide an overview of the historic treatment of the Caryophyllaceae as well as the recent findings about relationships within the family. The next presentations will focus on evolution and relationships within specific genera of Caryophyllaceae. The final talks will focus on studies using members of the Caryophyllaceae as model systems to study evolutionary phenomena, including studies of breeding system evolution, gene expression and the molecular genetic basis for phenotypic traits.

Key words: Caryophyllaceae, classification, evolution, phylogeny, population studies