Spergularia (Pers.) J. & C. Presl

23. Spergularia (Pers.) J. & C. Presl View in CoL 2

Herbs, sometimes woody at the base; stems erect, decumbent or procumbent, dilated at the nodes, somewhat flattened. Leaves linear, decussate, with pale, scarious stipules united to surround the node, forming more or less triangular structures on either side of the stem; leaf-fascicles (short leafy lateral branches) when present borne on only one side at each node. Perianth 5-merous; sepals free, green, with scarious margins; petals entire; stamens 1-10; styles 3. Capsule dehiscing with 3 valves. Seeds often winged.

1 Robust, with thick woody stock; sepals usually more than

4 mm

2 Stipules 6-10 mm, with setaceous apex; leaves awned; wing of seed (if present) deeply laciniate-fimbriate 2. fimbriata 2 Stipules 2-6 mm, not setaceous; leaves mucronate or obtuse; wing of seed (if present) entire or somewhat toothed

3 Stipules wider than long; leaves flattened, widening above

(Açores) 1. azorica 3 Stipules longer than wide; leaves semicylindrical, linear

4 All seeds unwinged; plant often densely glandular-hairy throughout

5 Petals much shorter than sepals, white or pinkish; capsule subglobose 4. macrorhiza 5 Petals about as long as sepals, pink; capsule ovoid 3. rupicola 4 Seeds with ±developed wing (exceptionally absent); plant glandular-hairy only in the inflorescence

6 Seeds black; leaves narrowed towards base; stipules silvery 5. australis 6 Seeds brown; leaves not narrowed towards base; stipules not silvery

7 Stipules on young stems connate for more than half their length; capsule more than 6 mm 6. media 7 Stipules on young stems connate for considerably less than half their length; capsule less than 6 mm

13. nicaeensis 1 Slender, with ± slender tap-root; sepals usually less than 4 mm

8 Stipules on young shoots connate for about half their length (forming a sheath); seeds light brown, often winged

9 Inflorescence little-branched; seeds smooth or tuberculate;

petals 3 mm or more 7. marina 9 Inflorescence much-branched; seeds sparsely papillose; petals less than 3 mm 8. tangerina 8 Stipules on young shoots connate for considerably less than half their length; seeds ±d ark brown, unwinged (or with vestigial wing)

10 Sepals mucronate, scarious except for a narrow green vein; seeds less than 0-4 mm 9. segetalis 10 Sepals not or scarcely mucronate, green, with scarious margins; seeds more than 0-4 mm

11 Inflorescence ebracteate above; petals narrowly elliptical;

capsule globose 10. diandra 11 Inflorescence bracteate (upper bracts often very short);

petals ovate; capsule ovoid to subglobose

12 Petals much longer than sepals 11. purpurea 12 Petals about equalling or shorter than sepals

13 Seeds brown, tuberculate

14 Petals white, or pink above and white beneath; seeds pale greyish-brown 15. bocconii 14 Petals uniformly pink; seeds dark brown

15 Upper bracts almost as long as the leaves 12. rubra

15 Upper bracts much shorter than the leaves

16 Plant rather robust, not rooting at the nodes;

stipules broadly triangular 13. nicaeensis

16 Plant slender, often rooting at the nodes; stipules lanceolate-acuminate 14. capillacea 13 Seeds black, smooth or densely spinulose

17 Stipules ±cordate; sepals acute to mucronulate; seeds

± smooth 16. heldreichii 17 Stipules triangular; sepals obtuse; seeds densely spinulose 17. echinosperma