Hairy sandspurry

Spergularia villosa (Pers.) Cambess.

Spergularia villosa, known as hairy sandspurry, is a flowering plant in the Caryophyllaceae family. It is native to southern South America and has been introduced to the southwestern United States and Baja California, where it is considered a casual weed. The plant is a small perennial herb with a sprawling stem up to 30 cm long and a woody base. It is covered in glandular hairs and has linear leaves a few centimeters long with dull white, lance-shaped stipules. The flowers feature hairy, glandular sepals and five oval, whitish petals.

Description

Spergularia villosa is distributed across southern South America and has been introduced to the conterminous 48 United States, as well as parts of Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. It grows in a wide range of habitats. The plant is characterized by its small size, hairy texture, and white flowers. It was first described in 1830 by Cambess.