Victorian Resources Online (archived)
Lesser Sea-spurrey
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| Lesser Sea-spurrey photos | Family: Chickweed (Caryophyllaceae) |
| Scientific Name: | Spergularia marina |  Lesser Sea-spurrey - plant Photo: A J Brown | |||||
| Salt Sand-spurrey, Saltmarsh Sand-spurrey, Lesser Sand-spurrey | ||||||
| Native to all States and New Zealand but cosmopolitan in distribution. | ||||||
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| Annual with a slender taproot and stems to 35 cm long. Leaves linear, fleshy and more or less obtuse. Stipules also obtuse. Flowers rose-purple with white bases to the petals, usually shorter than the 2.5-4 mm sepals which have a prominent blackish-red dot at their base. Stamens usually number 2-5. Capsules slightly longer than the sepals, containing 0.6-0.8 mm long, orange brown to deep red-brown, winged and unwinged seeds which have a thickened rim covered in tiny translucent bumps (or papillea). | ||||||
| Mostly growing on coastal cliffs, saltmarshes and inland saline wetlands.
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| 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 | ||||||
 Lesser Sea-spurrey - flower Photo: A J Brown |  Lesser Sea-spurrey with Lax Saltmarsh-grass Photo: A J Brown |
Photo: A J Brown |
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