Sagina saginoides

Plants perennial, tufted or becoming cespitose in alpine habitats, glabrous. Stems ascending or sometimes procumbent, few to many-branched, not filiform. Leaves: axillary fascicles absent; basal frequently in primary and secondary rosettes 9–45 mm diam., blade linear, 10–20 mm, not succulent, apex apiculate, rarely aristate, glabrous; cauline not conspicuously connate basally, rarely forming inflated cup in cespitose, alpine plants, blade linear, sometimes linear-subulate in cespitose plants, 4–20 (–25) mm, not fleshy, apex apiculate, glabrous. Pedicels frequently recurved during capsular development, erect in fruit, filiform, glabrous. Flowers axillary or terminal, 5-merous, very rarely some 4-merous; calyx base glabrous; sepals elliptic, 2–2.5 mm, hyaline margins white, rarely purple in alpine specimens, apex obtuse to rounded, remaining appressed following capsule dehiscence; petals elliptic, (1–) 1.5–2 mm, shorter than or equaling sepals; stamens (5 or) 10. Capsules 2.5–3 (–3.5) mm, 1.5–2 times sepals, dehiscing to base. Seeds brown, obliquely triangular with distinct abaxial groove, 0.3–0.4 mm, smooth to slightly pebbled. 2n = 22.

Phenology: Flowering mid-late summer.
Habitat: Montane sites, open or light shade, wet places on lake margins, along stream gravels and seepages in rock ledges and roadcuts, subalpine and alpine zones
Elevation: 1000-4000 m

Greenland, Alta., B.C., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.W.T., Nunavut, Que., Yukon, Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo., Mexico, Eurasia

Discussion

Some specimens from alpine habitats in Montana and Alberta are intermediate between Sagina saginoides and the typically arctic S. nivalis.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa