Spergularia macrotheca
Alph. Aufz. Gew. 689. 1846.
Plants strongly perennial with branched, woody base, stout, 5–40 cm, densely stipitate-glandular in inflorescence or throughout. Taproots becoming stout, woody. Stems erect or ascending to prostrate, usually branched proximally; main stem 0.8–3 mm diam. proximally. Leaves: stipules conspicuous, dull white to tan, narrowly triangular, 4.5–11 mm, apex long-acuminate; blade linear, (0.6–)1–5.5 cm, fleshy, apex apiculate to spine-tipped; axillary leaves 1–2+ per cluster. Cymes simple to 3-compound or flowers solitary and axillary. Pedicels erect, divergent, or reflexed in fruit. Flowers: sepals connate 0.5–1.8 mm proximally, lobes often 3-veined, ovate to lanceolate, 4.5–7 mm, to 8 mm in fruit, margins 0.3–0.7 mm wide, apex blunt to rounded; petals white or pink to rosy, elliptic to obovate, 0.9–1.3 times as long as sepals in flower; stamens 9–10; styles 0.6–3 mm. Capsules tan, 4.6–10 mm, 0.8–1.4 times as long as sepals. Seeds ± red-brown, often with submarginal groove or depression, suborbiculate to pyriform, compressed, (0.6–)0.7–1.2 mm, smooth to faintly or prominently tuberculate or sculpturing of parallel, wavy lines or of low, rounded mounds, not papillate; wing absent or white to reddish brown proximally, 0.1–0.3 mm wide, margins irregular.
Distribution
w North America, including nw Mexico.
Discussion
Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Petals pink to rosy; styles 0.6-1.2 mm | Spergularia macrotheca var. macrotheca |
| 1 | Petals white; styles 1.2-3 mm | > 2 |
| 2 | Capsules 1.2-1.4 times as long as sepals; styles 1.2-1.9 mm | Spergularia macrotheca var. leucantha |
| 2 | Capsules 0.8-1 times as long as sepals; styles 2-3 mm | Spergularia macrotheca var. longistyla |