Comparisons were made between the germination responses to temperature of species of Caryophyllaceae collected in the wild from different parts of Europe. Species occurring predominantly in the Mediterranean zone were compared with those distributed in the deciduous woodland zone of central and southern Europe; steppeland and grassland areas of eastern Europe, and in the Taiga and Tundra of northern Europe. The geo-botanical distributions of different species were reflected in their germination responses. Species from the Mediterranean germinated over a range with a mean of 4.5 to 24.2 °C; those from deciduous woodland over the range 11.8 to 30.0 °C; those from steppelands over the range 6.0 to 30.0 °C. There was little uniformity in the northern European species. The significance of the results is discussed in relation to the distribution of different species, the variation within a species, and the climatic components of the various geo-botanical zones.