Canadian sand-spurry (western sandspurry)
Caryophyllaceae (Pink family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Photograph
Map
Distribution of Spergularia canadensis var. occidentalis
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend
Species Information
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
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
Wet to moist coastal mud flats and sandy coastal beaches in the lowland zone; common in coastal BC; var. canadensis ranges N to AK and along the Atlantic Coast, var. occidentalis ranges S to N CA.Status Information
Taxonomic Keys
TAXONOMIC KEY TO SPERGULARIA
1. Stamens 2-5; sepals glabrous to moderately glandular-hairy. 2. Leaves blunt; seeds usually wing-margined, 0.8-1.1 mm long...........S. canadensis
2. Leaves abruptly slender-pointed; seeds wingless, 0.6-0.9 mm long............... S. salina 3. Seeds dark reddish-brown, nearly smooth, usually surrounded with a thin, white or brownish wing; sepals 5-9 mm long; plants native perennials............. S. macrotheca
3. Seeds light or dark brown or greyish-brown, finely reticulate and pimply, wingless; sepals 3.5-5 mm long, or less; plants introduced annuals or short-lived perennials.................... S. rubra |