GREATER SEA-SPURREY

Spergularia media

(Formerly: Spergularia maritima)
Carnation & Campion (Pink) Family [Caryophyllaceae]

month8jun month8june month8jul month8july month8aug month8sep month8sept

status
statusZnative
flower
flower8pink
inner
inner8white
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZ5
type
typeZspiked
stem
stem8round
sex
sexZbisexual

22nd June 2008, Hamstead Spit, IOW. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Hilary Higgins


25th May 2008, IOW. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Hilary Higgins
Greater Sea-spurrey, at up to 40cm, grows longer than all other Spurreys.


25th May 2008, IOW. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Hilary Higgins
It can grow either along the ground or erect.


2nd July 2011, Saltmills, County Wexford, Eire. Photo: © Paula O'Meara
It seems to your Author that the petals are broader than other Sea-spurreys, leaving no gaps between adjacent petals, but the books do not mention that because they can also have gaps between them as the specimen below shows.


22nd June 2008, Hamstead Spit, IOW. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Hilary Higgins
The petals of Greater Sea-spurrey are, however, usually slightly longer than the sepals. The stamens number anywhere between 1 and 10, and can be absent altogether occasionally. If there are fewer than 10 stamens, then the remainder are staminodes instead (a shorter and abortive stamen that is not fertile).

There is a developing fruit on the left hand side.



2nd July 2011, Saltmills, County Wexford, Eire. Photo: © Paula O'Meara
The inflorescence is either not hairy or hairy only in the inflorescence.


2nd July 2011, Saltmills, County Wexford, Eire. Photo: © Paula O'Meara
The petals are pale pink; paler still nearer the centre. The flowers are usually between 10 to 12mm across (but can be as small as 7mm across or slightly wider to 13mm).


2nd July 2011, Saltmills, County Wexford, Eire. Photo: © Paula O'Meara
The seed pods of all(?) spurreys are held at ~90° to the stem.


Easily mistaken for other : Sea-spurreys but the flower is usually a bit larger than any. See captions for clues.

It is native and grows and common all around the coasts of both the UK and Ireland; occupying sandy or muddy places near the sea; only very occasionally can it be found way inland.


  Spergularia media  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Caryophyllaceae  

Distribution
 family8Carnation & Campion (Pink) family8Caryophyllaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Spergularia
Spergularia
(Spurreys)

GREATER SEA-SPURREY

Spergularia media

(Formerly: Spergularia maritima)
Carnation & Campion (Pink) Family [Caryophyllaceae]