E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

General:
Annual herb from a taproot; stems erect or ascending to decumbent, several, freely branched, essentially glabrous, 4-30 cm tall/long.

Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves opposite, linear, 1-4.5 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, more or less glabrous, fleshy; stipules squared-off, wider than long, membranous, sheathing at the base.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of few to many flowers in a leafy cluster; petals 5, white or pink, 1-3 mm long; sepals 5, greenish, glabrous to moderately glandular-hairy, 2-3.5 mm long.

Fruits:
Capsules 3-5 mm long, 3-valved; seeds 0.8-1.1 mm long, light brown, usually wing-margined.

Notes:
Two sometimes poorly defined varieties occur in BC.

1. Plants prostrate or decumbent; plants occurring N of Vancouver Island ..................var. canadensis

1. Plants erect or strongly ascending; plants of Vancouver Island and southward..................... var. occidentalis Rossbach