Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains

14. Caryophyllaceae, the Pink Family

2. Spergularia J. & C. Presl -- Sand-spurry

1. Spergularia marina (L.) Griseb.-- Salt-marsh sand-spurry

Low decumbent to erect annual, simple to diffusely branched, 5-20 cm tall, glabrous or glandular-pubescent. Leaves rather succulent, linear, blunt to mucronate at the tip, 5-40 mm long, 0.5-1.5 mm wide; stipules present, broadly deltate to round or reniform, scarious. Flowers usually numerous, in a widely spreading, bracteate cyme, the inflorescence comprising most or nearly all of the plant; bracts similar to the leaves though smaller; flowers subsessile or on pedicels 1-10 mm long with age; sepals obtuse to rounded, 2-5 mm long; petals white or more often pinkish, 1/2 to nearly as long as the sepals; stamens 2-5; carpels 3, styles 3. Capsules 3-valved, ovoid, equaling or surpassing the calyx, mostly 3-6 mm long. Seeds light to dark brown, obovoid to nearly round, compressed, 0.5-0.9 mm long, smooth or slightly rough, sometimes winged. Jul--Sep. Wet alkali flats and shores; occasional in n and e ND; (Probably intro. from Eurasia, along the coasts from Que. to FL and w to TX, and B.C., s to CA, sporadically inland).

Reference:

Rossbach, R. P.  1940.  Spergularia in North America and South America.  Rhodora
     42:57-83, 105-143, 158-193, 203-213.

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