Key to Spergularia

View taxon page for Spergularia

(For a list of species in Spergularia, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Plant strongly 

perennial 

Completing life cycle (germination through death) in more than two years or growing seasons, generally non-woody (at least above ground) to woody; includes perennial herbs as well as subshrubs to trees; the abbreviation 'per' only refers to perennial herb, not to the word 'perennial' alone.

 herb; stamens 7–10

2. Seeds 0.4–0.5 mm; calyx 

lobes 

1. A major expansion or bulge, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal, or on the surface of an ovary. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals; larger than teeth.

2.5–4 mm, in fruit < 5 mm; styles 0.4–0.6 mm ..... S. villosa

2' Seeds 0.6–0.9 mm; calyx lobes 4.5–7 mm, in fruit < 8 mm; styles 0.6–3 mm ..... S. macrotheca

3. Petals pink to rosy or blue; styles 0.5–1.2 mm ..... var. macrotheca

3' Petals white; styles 1.2–3 mm

4. Fruit 1.2–1.4 × calyx; styles 1.2–1.9 mm ..... var. leucantha

4' Fruit 0.8–1 × calyx; styles 2–3 mm ..... var. longistyla

1' Annual (Spergularia rubra, Spergularia media short-lived perennial herb); stamens 2–10

5. Seeds black, not 

papillate 

Pertaining to a surface (e.g., of a leaf, stigma, fruit) bearing small, rounded or conic protuberances (papillae).

..... S. atrosperma

5' Seeds light to dark brown or red-brown, if nearly black, seeds covered with gland-tipped papillae

6. Stamens 6–10

7. Seeds 0.8–1.1 mm, smooth, not papillate, generally winged; fruit (4.5)5.5–8 mm; plant stout, lower main stem generally 1–3 mm diam; leaves clearly fleshy ..... S. media var. media

7' Seeds 0.4–0.6 mm, roughened or variously sculptured, papillate, not winged; fruit 2.7–5.4 mm; plant ± delicate, lower main stem generally 0.3–1 mm diam; leaves barely to ± fleshy

8. Leaves generally 0–2 per 

axillary 

Pertaining to or within an axil, especially a leaf axil.

cluster, ± fleshy; seeds light brown; stipules generally 1.5–4.5 mm, mostly 

deltate 

More or less equilaterally triangular, with the corners rounded or not.

, dull, white to tan, generally inconspicuous, tip 

acute 

Having a short-tapered, sharp tip, the sides convex or straight and converging at less than a right angle.

to short-acuminate ..... S. bocconi

8' Leaves 2–4+ per axillary cluster, barely fleshy; seeds red-brown to dark brown; stipules generally 3.5–5 mm, 

lanceolate 

Narrowly elongate, widest in the basal half, often tapered to an acute tip.

, shiny, white, conspicuous, tip ± long-acuminate ..... S. rubra

6' Stamens 2–5

9. Seeds 0.9–1.1 mm ..... S. canadensis var. occidentalis

9' Seeds 0.3–0.7(0.8) mm

10. Inflorescence glandular-hairy, 1–3+ × compound or flowers 1 in axils; fruit 2.8–6.4 mm; calyx lobes 2.5–4.5 mm, in fruit < 4.8 mm; seeds 0.5–0.7(0.8) mm ..... S. marina

10' Inflorescence glabrous, generally 4–7+ × compound; fruit 1.4–2.6 mm; calyx lobes 0.9–1.6 mm, in fruit < 2 mm; seeds 0.3–0.4 mm ..... S. platensis var. platensis

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