- Spergularia
Key to the species of Spergularia
1Stamens 6–10; plant perennial with usually thick, woody taproot; sepals usually 4 mm or more long, or if less then stipules often 6–8 mm long2 1Stamens 1–5 (rarely absent); if more, then plant annual, biennial or rarely short-lived perennial with more or less slender taproot and/or sepals usually less than 4 mm long; stipules rarely more than 4 mm long7 2Mature seeds yellow-brown to dark red-brown3 3Leaves more or less prominently awned; stipules (3–) 6–8 mm long; capsules usually 3.5–5 mm long4 3Leaves acute, mucronate or shortly awned; stipules 2.5–3.5 mm long; capsules usually 4.5–9 mm long5 4Internodes mostly 5–10 mm long; petals distinctly shorter than sepals, white; capsules much longer than sepals; seeds dark red-brown, not papillose, usually scariously winged, or occasionally unwinged or wing vestigialSpergularia villosa 4Internodes mostly 15–25(–40) mm long; petals c. equalling sepals, pink; capsules c. equalling to slightly longer than sepals; seeds yellow-, olive- or grey-brown, prominently and coursely papillose, never wingedSpergularia brevifolia 5Mature seeds usually 0.6–0.8 mm long with marginal papillae distinctly paler than testa, unwinged or winged, often both in the same capsuleSpergularia marina 5Mature seeds usually 0.7–1.1 mm long, without papillae, usually scariously winged, occasionally a few unwingedSpergularia media 6Leaves sparsely glandular-ciliate; stipules scarcely acuminate, not silvery; petals c. 4 mm long, much shorter than sepals; capsules 4.5–8 mm long, consistently longer than sepals; seeds 0.7–1.1 mm long, tuberculate or bluntly papillose, mostly scariously wingedSpergularia tasmanica 6Leaves, at least the upper, uniformly glandular-hairy; stipules acuminate, more or less silvery; petals 4–6 mm long, c. equalling to slightly exceeding sepals; capsules 4.5–7 mm long, slightly shorter to slightly longer than sepals; seeds 0.5–0.75 mm long, more or less smooth to densely and coarsely papillose, unwingedSpergularia brevifolia 7Mature seeds pale grey-brown through orange-brown to dark brown, mostly lacking metallic-iridescent lustre, smooth to tuberculate or rather sparsely and finely papillose8 7Mature seeds very dark grey-brown to pitch-black, usually with metallic-iridescent lustre, or if not lustrous then very densely blunt-papillose10 8Leaf-apex obtuse to mucronulate, never awned; calyx base with prominent purple-black dots; capsules narrow-ovoid, usually 4–6.5 mm long, usually much exceeding sepals; seeds usually 0.6–0.8 mm long, orange-brown to deep red-brown with marginal papillae distinctly paler than testa, unwinged or scariously winged, often both in the same capsuleSpergularia marina 8Leaf-apex mucronate to prominently awned; calyx-base with dots obscure or absent; capsules ovoid to subglobose, usually 2–4 mm long, equalling or slightly exceeding sepals; seeds usually 0.35–0.55 (–0.6) mm long, light to dark grey-brown with papillae not or hardly paler than testa, unwinged9 9Leaves not fasciculate; leaf-apex mucronate to shortly awned; stipules neither acuminate nor silvery; pedicels usually shorter than to equalling sepals and capsules; glandular hairs of sepals usually 0.3–0.4 mm long; petals usually 2–2.5 mm long, white, or pink inside; stamens usually 2–5; capsules usually 2–3.5 mm long; seeds light grey-brownSpergularia bocconei 9Leaves strongly fasciculate; leaf-apex long-awned; stipules acuminate, silvery; pedicels distinctly longer than sepals and capsules; glandular hairs of sepals usually 0.1–0.25 mm long; petals usually 2.4–3.8 mm long; uniformly pink; stamens usually 10; capsules usually 4–5 mm long; seeds dark grey-brownSpergularia rubra 10Leaves glabrous; petals usually 1.8–2 mm long; stamens usually 2–3; seeds 0.45–0.5 mm long, colliculate, tuberculate or finely papillose, rarely entirely smoothSpergularia diandra 10Leaves sparsely glandular-hairy; petals usually 2–2.5 mm long; stamens usually 6–8; seeds usually 0.5–0.7 mm long, more or less smooth to coarsely and densely blunt-papilloseSpergularia brevifolia From: Adams, L.G.; West, J.G. (1996). Spergularia. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J. (eds), Flora of Victoria. Vol. 3. Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
