Spergula arvensis L.
corn-spurry (corn spurry; stickwort)
Caryophyllaceae (Pink family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
corn-spurry (corn spurry; stickwort)
Caryophyllaceae (Pink family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Annual herb from a taproot; stems prostrate to erect, several, branched, more or less glandular-hairy, yellowish-green, 10-60 cm tall/long.
Leaves:
Basal leaves few, soon deciduous; stem leaves in whorls of 6, narrowly linear, channelled beneath, 1.5-5 cm long, less than 1 mm wide, 1-nerved; stipules small, deciduous.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of numerous and usually terminal flowers on branched clusters; petals 5, white, egg-shaped, 3-6 mm long; sepals 5, greenish, egg-shaped, 2-5 mm long, glandular-hairy.
Fruits:
Capsules egg-shaped, 2.5-6 mm long, 5-valved; seeds black, plump, 1.2-1.5 mm long, minutely roughened.
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
Mesic to dry fields and waste places in the lowland and lower montane zones; common in SW BC, rare elsewhere in S BC; introduced from Eurasia.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Spergula arvensis subsp. arvensis L. [superfluous autonym]
Spergula arvensis subsp. sativa (Boenn.) Celak.
Spergula arvensis var. sativa (Boenn.) Mert. & Koch
Spergula sativa Boenn.