Spergularia diandroides L.G.Adams APNI* Description: Annual with slender taproot. Branches decumbent from base.
Leaves obtuse often with a mucro, 5–20 mm long, 0.5–1 mm wide, sparsely glandular-hairy. Stipules long-acuminate, frequently forked, 1–3 mm long, connate for much less than half their length.
Inflorescence many-flowered, lax, with dense glandular hairs, 0.1–0.3 mm long. Pedicles much longer than sepals. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, 2–3 mm long, to 3.5 mm long in fruit; basal spots obscure or absent. Petals 2–2.5 mm long, white, rarely pink or greenish. Stamens mostly 6–8 sometimes 5.
Fruit a capsule, ovoid to subglobose, 3–3.5 mm long, about equal to the sepals. Seeds narrow oblique-pyriform to trigonous, 0.4–0.5 mm long, mostly jet-black, metallic-iridescent lustre barely visible under papillae, very densely blunt-papillose, wingless.
Distribution and occurrence: Occurs in all States except for Tasmania. In damp, sandy soils and salt pans of arid regions, sometimes associated with lignum swamps.
NSW subdivisions: CWS, NFWP
Other Australian states: Qld S.A. W.A. N.T.
Very similar to S. diandra and has been confused with this species however the leaves of S. diandra are glabrous and S. diandroides are glandular hairy.
Text by Louisa Murray
Taxon concept: Adams, L.G, West, J.G. & Cowley, K.J. (2009) Revision of Spergularia (Caryophyllaceae) in Australia. Australian Systematic Botany 21(4) 251-270.
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
|
