Spergularia rubra

(Linnaeus) J. Presl & C. Presl

Fl. ech. 94. 1819.

Common names: Red sand-spurrey spergulaire rouge  
WeedyIntroduced
Basionym: Arenaria rubra Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 1: 423. 1753
Synonyms: Tissa rubra (Linnaeus) Britton
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 19. Mentioned on page 17, 155.

Plants annual or short-lived perennial, delicate, 4–25 cm, stipitate-glandular in inflorescence. Taproots slender to ± stout. Stems erect to ascending or prostrate, usually much-branched proximally; main stem 0.3–0.5 mm diam. proximally. Leaves: stipules conspicuous, shiny white, lanceolate, 3.5–5 mm, apex long-acuminate; blade filiform to linear, 0.4–1.5 cm, scarcely fleshy, apex apiculate to spine-tipped; axillary leaves 2–4+ per cluster. Cymes simple to 3+-compound or flowers solitary and axillary. Pedicels ascending to reflexed. Flowers: sepals connate 0.5–0.7 mm proximally, lobes often 3-veined, lanceolate, (2–)2.5–3.2 mm, to 4 mm in fruit, margins 0.1–0.3 mm wide, apex obtuse to acute; petals pink, obovate to ovate, 0.9–1 times as long as sepals; stamens 6–10; styles 0.6–0.8 mm. Capsules greenish to tan, 3.5–5 mm, 1–1.2 times as long as sepals. Seeds red-brown to dark brown, with submarginal groove, broadly ovate or ± truncate, angular at broad end, plump, 0.4–0.6 mm, sculpturing of parallel, wavy lines, margins with peglike papillae (30×); wing absent. 2n = 18, 27, 36, 54 (all Europe).


Phenology: Flowering spring–fall.
Habitat: Open forests, gravelly glades, meadows, mud flats, roadsides, disturbed places
Elevation: 0-2400 m

Distribution

V5 27-distribution-map.gif

Introduced; St. Pierre and Miquelon, B.C., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Yukon, Alaska, Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., Wis., Wyo., Europe, Asia, introduced in South America, Australia.

Discussion

Spergularia rubra was collected in 1901 on ballast in Alabama (Mohr, DS), the only record in the southeastern United States. It is the most widely distributed Spergularia species found outside of saline areas in the flora and has been in North America since at least the 1860s.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Spergularia rubra"
Ronald L. Hartman +  and Richard K. Rabeler +
(Linnaeus) J. Presl & C. Presl +
Arenaria rubra +
Red sand-spurrey +  and spergulaire rouge   +
St. Pierre and Miquelon +, B.C. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Ky. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mont. +, Nev. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, Utah +, Vt. +, Va. +, Wash. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +, Europe +, Asia +, introduced in South America +  and Australia. +
0-2400 m +
Open forests, gravelly glades, meadows, mud flats, roadsides, disturbed places +
Flowering spring–fall. +
Weedy +  and Introduced +
Tissa rubra +
Spergularia rubra +
Spergularia +
species +