'caryophyllaceous' originates from the Latin word 'caryophyllus', which referred to the clove tree, and the suffix '-aceous', indicating belonging to a family or group.

'caryophyllus' transformed into the modern English word 'caryophyllaceous' to describe plants belonging to the Caryophyllaceae family.

Initially, it referred specifically to the clove tree, but over time it evolved to describe the entire plant family Caryophyllaceae.