Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_4399.JPG-07-10-2020
Flower name (scientific): Spergularia rubra (Linnaeus) J. Presl & C. Presl PY: 1819. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) sper-gii-LA-ri-a (or sper-gew-LARE-ee-a) ROO-brah (or ROO-bra)
Flower name (common): Red Sand Spurrey
Family name (common): Pink
Family name (scientific): Caryophyllaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: From the Latin for resembling Spergula, Latin for scatterer, in reference to the spread of the seeds.
    Specific epithet: Latin for red.
Common name origin: From the flower color and a common soil habitat. The use of spurrey (alternative spelling spurry) to describe plants and weeds goes back to at least the latter part of the 16th century. These plants were probably in what is now called the genus Spergula.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.1 to 0.3 inches (3 to 8 mm)
     Petal count: 5
     Color: red
     Other: flower arrangement, None
Plant description:
     Size: 2 to 12 inches (5 to 30 cm)
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is opposite and/or whorl, type is simple
     Size:
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, linear (FW), filiform to linear (FNA). Shape: leaf, linear (FW), filiform to linear (FNA)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Introduced
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Uncommon
Bloom time (typical): May to August
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Annual/Perennial
Habitat: Woods, forest openings, disturbed areas, roadsides, sun or semi-shade, dry, sandy or gravelly soil.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): Spergularia salina (also called Spergularia marina) (Salt-marsh Sand Spurry) has a resemblance to Spergularia rubra. S. salina has typically 2 or 3 sometimes up to 5 stamens, stipules inconspicuous, and leaves lacking spines, whereas S. rubra has 6 to 10 stamens, conspicuous stipules, and leaves usually spine-tipped.
Ethnobotany:
Latitude:
Longitude:
Altitude:
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Chippewa, Clark, Eau Claire, Florence, Forest, Iron, Jackson, Juneau, Lincoln, Marathon, Marinette, Oneida, Polk, Portage, Price, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Taylor, Vilas, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AK, AL, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, ID, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WY) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (BC, NB, NF, NS, ON, PE, QC, YT) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: Arenaria rubra Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 1: 423 1753.
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s):
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): FACU
Wetland Status (MW): FACU