beach sand-spurry (sticky sandspurry)
Caryophyllaceae (Pink family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Photograph
Map
Distribution of Spergularia macrotheca var. macrotheca
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Species Information
General:
Perennial herb with a thick, rather woody root and branched stem-base; stems decumbent to ascending, several, few branched, usually glandular-hairy, 3-45 cm tall/long, 0.8-3.0 mm in diameter.
Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves opposite, 2-several per node, mostly 7-50 mm long, 0.6-3 mm wide, fleshy, glabrous to densely glandular-hairy, bristle-tipped; stipules 4-11 mm long, triangular and tapering to a long-point, membranous, sheathing at the base.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of solitary to few flowers in a terminal or axillary cluster, glandular-hairy; petals 5, dark to very pale pink, 3.5-8 mm long; sepals 5, 5-9 mm long, densely glandular-hairy, broadly lanceolate, usually more or less abruptly sharp-pointed.
Fruits:
Capsules 5.5-10 mm long, 3-valved; seeds dark reddish-brown, nearly smooth, mostly 0.6-1 mm long, usually surrounded by a white or brownish wing about 0.1 mm wide.
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 salt marshes and sandy coastal beaches in the lowland zone; rare in SW BC, known only on SE Vancouver Island and adjacent Gulf Islands; S to CA and MX.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 |