Spergula L. Spergula Spergula, L. Spergula Spergula, Boreau

22. Spergula L. View in CoL 1

Annual (rarely perennial); stems ascending, often decumbent and much-branched at the base. Leaves linear, obtuse, decussate; stipules scarious, not united to surround the node; leaf-fascicles (short, leafy, lateral branches) borne on both sides at each node. Perianth 5-merous; sepals free, green, with scarious margins; petals white, entire; stamens 5-10; styles 5. Capsule ovoid to subglobose, dehiscing with 5 valves. Seeds often winged. 1 Root thick and woody; plant densely glandular-hairy (mountains of Spain) 4. viscosa

1 Root ±slender, not woody; plant glandular-hairy or not

2Seeds subglobose, keeled or with a narrow wing; leaves channelled beneath 1. arvensis

2Seeds compressed, broadly winged; leaves not channelled beneath

3 Seed wider than its brownish wing; petals ovate, obtuse, contiguous 2. morisonii

3 Seed as wide as its transparent, shining wing; petals lanceolate. acute, not contiguous 3. pentandra

1. S. arvensis L. View in CoL , Sp. Pl. 440 (1753)

( S. vulgaris Boenn. , S. sativa Boenn. , S. maxima Weihe , 5. linicola Boreau ).

Annual 5-70 cm, with ascending stems more or less branched at the base, moderately to densely glandular-hairy above. Leaves 1—3(—8) cm, linear, fleshy, channelled beneath. Sepals 4-5 mm, ovate; petals white, obovate, obtuse, slightly exceeding the sepals; stamens 5- 10. Capsule 5 mm, somewhat exceeding the sepals. Seeds 1- 2 mm, subglobose, keeled or with a very narrow wing, grey- black, papillose or not. 2/z=18. A weed o f cornfields and other cultivated ground, especially on sandy soils; calcifuge. Throughout Europe. All except Al BI Sb. Very variable in habit, pubescence, size of seed, presence of seed-papillae, etc. S. chieusseana Pomel, Nouv. Mat. Fl. Atl. 206 (1874), may merit specific rank. It differs from 1, which it replaces in S. and C. Portugal, by having a sessile instead of a pedunculate terminal inflorescence.

2. S. morisonii Boreau View in CoL in Duchartre, Rev. Bot. 2: 424 (1847)

(S. vernalis auct.).

Annual with ascending stems 5-30 cm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Leaves 1-2 cm, linear, not channelled beneath; leaf-fascicles conspicuously shorter than the internodes. Sepals 4 mm, ovate, acuminate; petals about equalling the sepals, ovate, obtuse, overlapping at their margins; stamens 5-10. Capsule 5 mm, slightly exceeding the sepals. Seeds 1-1-5 mm (including wing), laterally compressed, with a brownish striate wing narrower than the seed. 2n=18. C. Europe, extending southwards to the Iberian peninsula and N. Italy and northwards to C. Sweden. Au Be Bu Cz D a Fe G a Ge Ho Hs Hu It Lu N o Po Rm Rs (B, C) Su [Br].

3. S. pentandra L. View in CoL , Sp. Pl. 440 (1753).

Like 2 but petals lanceolate, acute, not contiguous, somewhat exceeding the sepals; stamens usually 5; seeds with white, shining wing about as wide as the seed. S. & C. Europe, extending northwards to Belgium. Be Bu Co Cz G a Ge G r Hs Hu It Ju Lu Po Rm Sa Si Tu.

4. S. viscosa Lag. View in CoL , Gen. Sp. Nov. 15 (1816).

Apparently perennial with woody tap-root; stems many, ascending, densely glandular-hairy and viscid. Leaves densely fasciculate, channelled beneath. Petals much shorter than the sepals. Seeds laterally compressed, dark brown, surrounded by a brownish wing narrower than the seed. Sandy places on mountains. Spain. Hs.