Petrorhagia prolifera (L.) P.W. Ball & Heywood
prolific petrorhagia (childing pink)
Caryophyllaceae (Pink family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
prolific petrorhagia (childing pink)
Caryophyllaceae (Pink family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Annual herb from a slender taproot; stems ascending to erect, branched, glabrous, 30-50 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves linear-oblanceolate to oblanceolate, 1.2-3 cm long, 1-3 mm wide; stem leaves opposite, 3 to many pairs, linear to linear lanceolate, fused at the base into a sheath.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of solitary flowers or in a 3- to 7- flowered, headlike cluster, these subtended by 2-3 pairs of brown, papery, egg-shaped bracts; petals 5, 10-14 mm, pink, notched, exceeding the calyces; calyces 10-13 mm long; sepals 5.
Fruits:
Capsules egg-shaped, 5-8 mm long; seeds brownish-black, 1.1-1.8 mm long, compressed, concave on 1 side.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Dry, sandy disturbed areas in the lowland zone; rare in SW BC, known only from Comox and Surrey; introduced from Europe.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Dianthus prolifer L.
Tunica prolifera (L.) Scop.
Taxonomic Keys
TAXONOMIC KEY TO PETRORHAGIA
1. Calyces 10-13 mm long; stem leaves linear to lanceolate, more than 1 cm long P. prolifera 1. Calyces 4-5 mm long; stem leaves linear and needle-like, less than 1 cm long P. saxifraga |