beach sand-spurrey

Spergularia macrotheca (Hornem. ex Cham. & Schltdl.) Heynh.

Spergularia macrotheca is a flowering plant in the Caryophyllaceae family, native to western North America. It is found in British Columbia, California, Mexican Pacific Is., Mexico Northwest, Oregon, and Washington. It grows in moist coastal and inland habitats, including marshes, alkali flats, beaches, meadows, seeps, and vernal pools. It is a perennial herb with a narrow stem up to 40 cm long, often with a woody base and taproot. The plant is covered in sticky glandular hairs and has fleshy linear leaves, sometimes with spines. Flowers are small, with five pointed sepals and five oval white to lavender-pink petals. The fruit is a capsule containing tiny reddish brown, winged seeds.

Description

Spergularia macrotheca is a species of flowering plant in the Caryophyllaceae family. It is native to western North America, from British Columbia to Baja California. It is commonly found in moist coastal and inland habitats, including marshes, alkali flats, beaches, meadows, seeps, and vernal pools. The plant is a perennial herb with a narrow stem that can grow up to 40 cm long, often with a woody, thickened base and taproot. The stems may grow erect or prostrate. The plant is covered in sticky glandular hairs, especially in the inflorescence. The leaves are fleshy and linear, sometimes tipped with spines, and are accompanied by triangular stipules up to 1 cm long. Flowers occur in clusters at the end of the stem and in leaf axils. The small flowers have five pointed sepals and five oval white to lavender-pink petals. The fruit is a capsule containing tiny reddish brown, winged seeds.