Spergula pentandra

Plants glabrous or moderately pubescent. Stems often branched proximally, 5–30 cm. Leaf-blades usually flat, 0.5–1.5 cm, usually not channeled abaxially. Pedicels erect to ascending, spreading or, sometimes, reflexed in fruit, not secund. Flowers: sepals 2.5–4 mm; petals ± lanceolate, 3/4–7/8 times as long as sepals in flower, apex acute to acuminate; stamens usually 5. Capsule valves 4–5 mm. Seeds winged, lenticular, 0.6–0.9 mm wide, surface minutely roughened or obscurely tuberculate (50×), papillae absent or relatively few in marginal ring; wings usually white, sometimes slightly tannish, 0.4–0.6 mm wide. 2n = 18 (Europe).

Phenology: Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat: Sandy fields, other disturbed areas
Elevation: 0-100 m

Introduced; Conn., N.J., N.C., Va., Europe, sw Asia, nw Africa, in Australia

Discussion

Spergula pentandra was first collected in North America in 1956; see D. B. Snyder (1987) for an account of earlier confusion of this taxon with S. morisonii in New Jersey.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa