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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE PINK FAMILY | |||||||||
| The pink family is found mainly in
north temperate regions, though it may also be found in montane tropics
and the arctic. These plants are herbaceous perennials that have an erect
or reclining growth habit. Some species may be mat forming. Almost all of
the members of the pink family have three characteristics in common that
make this family easy to identify: swollen nodes, opposite leaves, and notched
petals. Several members of this family are used as ornamentals. One of the more well-known examples is Dianthus or the carnation. Many species are also considered weedy. |
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| LARGELEAF SANDWORT | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Moehringia macrophylla | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Largeleaf sandwort grows as tall as 20 cm from a taproot. This plant spreads with an underground horizontal stem (rhizome). The above ground stems are erect or reclining. The hairless leaves are proportionately large and are arranged oppositely on the stem. The flowers are usually in pairs, though they may be solitary or in a few-flowered inflorescence. The flower stalks are long and slender. The sepals are green and the petals are white. The fruit is a 6-valved, nearly round capsule. At maturity, the edges of the capsule are reflexed. The seeds are reddish-brown and have a fleshy appendage. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Largeleaf sandwort grows in thin soil on granitic outcrops in semi-open areas. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in northern Saskatchewan in the Churchill River Upland, Tazin Lake Upland, and Selwyn Lake Upland ecoregions | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Largeleaf sandwort is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. This species is only partially regionally restricted. No immediate threats are known at this time. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY LARGELEAF SANDWORT | |||||||||
| * Do the seeds have a fleshy appendage? * Are the leaves proportionately large compared to the rest of the plant? * Are the leaves hairless? * Did you find it in northern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found largeleaf sandwort! | |||||||||
