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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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| TRAILING PEARLWORT | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Sagina decumbens ssp. decumbens | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Trailing pearlwort is a tufted plant that grows to 10 cm tall from fibrous roots. The stems are branched at the base and are green or purple-tinged. The leaves are smaller up the stem and are slightly membranous-margined. The flowers are in a many-flowered, branched cluster, or occasionally, are solitary. The sepals are green with a purple tip and a narrow, membranous margin. The petals are small and white. The fruit is a 5-valved capsule. The seeds are light tan. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Trailing pearlwort grows on dry hillsides. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in southwestern Saskatchewan in the Cypress Upland ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Trailing pearlwort is endangered or extirpated from Saskatchewan. It is extremely rare, highly regionally restricted, and is almost always locally sparse. This plant has not been reported in Saskatchewan in recent surveys of the Cypress Hills area. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY TRAILING PEARLWORT | |||||||||
| * Do the leaves lacking bulb-like clusters in their
axils? * Are petals white? * Are the seeds light tan? * Did you find it in the Cypress Hills? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found trailing pearlwort! | |||||||||
