Baccone's Sand-spurrey

Scientific Name:

Spergularia bocconei

Status:

Native of Mediterranean Europe but introduced into all Australian States and to New Zealand.

Plant Description:

Annual or Biennial with a slender taproot. Stems usually spreading along the ground before rising. Leaves fleshy, linear, 0.4-1 mm wide and 10-30 mm long, hairless and mucronate or shortly awned. Flowers white or pink inside and normally with 2-5 stamens. Petals equal to or shorter than the 3.5-5 mm sepals, which may or may not have dark purple basal spots. Capsules about as long as the sepals and contain, unwinged, pale olive-brown, smooth to finely papillose (with tiny bumps) seeds, 0.3-0.5 mm long.

Habitat:

Occasional in sandy depressions and saline swamps.

Region	Salinity Class	Waterlogging Class
Mallee, Central and Northern	S0, S1, S2, S3	W0, W1, W2

Comments:

Similar in some respects to Spergularia rubra and S. marina but distinguished by its smaller, pale olive-brown seeds. A number of Sea- or Sand-spurrey species occur in Victoria and can be difficult to tell apart. A simplified key to Spergularia species can be accessed here – Key to species.

This page contains material sourced from the Victorian Resources Online (VRO) website, originally published by the State Government of Victoria.

The content is provided under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia licence (CC BY 4.0 AU).

This material is presented in an archived form and is no longer maintained or updated. It is provided for general information only and should not be relied upon as current advice.

This site is hosted by the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI), Federation University Australia. It is not endorsed by Agriculture Victoria.

Agriculture Victoria does not accept liability for any loss, damage or consequences arising from the use of, or reliance on, this material.